Looking at Iceland’s spectacular score at Miss International at the Big4 Ranking [CLICK HERE] it is amazing that this nation got more scores from Miss International than from Miss World where it has 3 winners. But what it seems like a mystery can actually be explained by Iceland’s constant landing at the semis at the early days of Miss International. It was a phenomenon that continued until 1995. The country has landed 14 times at the semis of Miss International which is twice more than the number of times that Iceland made it to the Miss World.
The fact that the Miss International points of Iceland is more than its Miss World’s underscores the fact that the Big4 Ranking accurately depicts the strength of a nation in the world of pageantry. The ranking would statistically show that Iceland is far stronger at Miss International and that an Icelandic beauty has a bigger chance to be in the semis of this pageant when compared to the other three major ones.
The strength of Iceland at Miss International is very evident on the very first edition of the pageant when Sigridur Geirsdóttir became 2nd runner-up to Stella Marquez of Colombia. A year after that, in 1961, Sigrun Ragnarsdóttir became 4th runner-up. By the time that the pageant is on its 4th year, Iceland triumphed thanks to the spectacular beauty of Gudrun Bjarnadóttir.
What could possibly explain the meteoric rise of Iceland at such an early stage of Miss International? The simple fact that the winner of Ungfru Island, Iceland’s premier beauty pageant, was being sent to Miss International is the sole explanation for this. In short, in those years that the Miss International pageant was still in the United States, Iceland is already sending its very best to the pageant. But even during the years when Iceland concentrated on other pageants, Iceland managed to be in the Top 5 when in 1973, Helga Eldon Jónsdóttir finished as second runner-up. Perhaps, Iceland has already established its name in the pageant!
The other Miss International semifinalists from Iceland are as follows:
1962 Maria Gudmundsdóttir (SF)
1964 Elisabeth Sigridur Ottosdóttir (SF)
1970 Erla Hardardóttir (SF)
1984 Gudlaug Stella Brynjolfsdóttir (SF)
1985 Anna Margret Jonsdóttir (SF)
1988 Gudbjörg Gissurardóttir (SF)
1989 Gudrun Eyjolfsdóttir (SF)
1992 Thorunn Larusdóttir (SF)
1995 Lovisa Adalheidur Gudmundsdóttir (SF)
Last year Sigrun Eva Armannsdóttir, put back the country at the semis at the pageant. Sigrun is actually Iceland’s Mpule** as the last time her country competed at Miss International was way back in 2004! It is a sad fact that the country went into an 8 year hibernation in a pageant where it is so successful. Now that Sigrun opened the doors again, will Iceland come back at Miss International as a force to reckon with?
** Mpule is a Setswana word which means “the one who brings the rain.”
- Sigrun Eva Armannsdóttir in her national costume
