Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic won the title of Miss World 2024 on Saturday in Mumbai, India, the location of this year’s international pageant, defeating 111 other contestants from around the world.
Who is Krystyna Pyszková?
Pyszková was educated in Gymnázium Třinec, her birthplace. Pyszková moved to Prague to continue her studies after finishing. Pyszková was studying management at MCI Management Center Innsbruck in Innsbruck and law at Charles University in Prague prior to being crowned Miss Czech Republic.
When Pyszková was chosen as a finalist for Miss Czech Republic 2022, she officially started her pageantry career in 2022. Pyszková went on to win the contest, which was later held in May 2022. She was chosen as the winner to go to Miss World 2023 on behalf of the Czech Republic.
History of the Miss World Championship
As part of the Festival of Britain celebrations in 1951, Eric Morley organized a bikini competition that he named the Festival Bikini Contest. The press called the event “Miss World” since it was so well-liked. The purpose of the swimsuit competition was to promote the bikini, which was still mostly considered immodest at the time of its introduction to the market. The scandal grew when Kerstin “Kiki” Hakansson, a Swedish pageant winner from 1951, was crowned while wearing a bikini.
Morley made the decision to make the Miss World pageant an annual event, even though it was once intended to be a pageant for the Festival of Britain. He filed for trademark protection for the term “Miss World,” and it was used for all upcoming pageants. However, nations with strong religious traditions threatened not to send delegates to future events because to the controversy surrounding Håkansson’s crowning in a bikini, and the Pope denounced the garment. Because of criticism, the bikini was eliminated from all upcoming pageants. with more subdued clothing, and starting in 1976, evening gowns were used for the coronation in place of bikinis.As of right now, Håkansson is the only Miss World to have won in a bikini. All Miss World 2013 contestants donned a traditional sarong in addition to a one-piece swimsuit.
Miss World in the 21st Century
Agbani Darego of Nigeria became the first black African Miss World winner when she was crowned in 2001. During that edition, Miss World devised a marketing campaign that included a television special called “Vote For Me,” which allowed viewers to vote online or over the phone for their favorite delegates while seeing the delegates behind the scenes and on the beach. Additionally, it offers broadcasters television shows featuring its talent, beach beauty, and sports activities. A week prior to the special’s transmission on the main ITV channel, ITV aired the 2001 pageant from South Africa on digital channel ITV2.
The pageant was scheduled to have its final in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2002. This decision sparked debate because Amina Lawal, a woman from northern Nigeria, was facing the death penalty in that region due to adultery under Sharia law. However, Miss World utilized the attention generated by her appearance to raise awareness of Lawal’s situation around the world and encourage action.
There were opposition to the competition, and no British broadcaster consented to carry the tournament. Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World, together with her mother Brinda Rai, daughter Aaradhya, and husband Abhishek Bachchan attended the Miss World 2014 event. Since 2014, the pageant has been televised locally on London Live.