Miss Earth and Miss International beauty pageants are two of the Big Four Pageants that are widely followed all around the world. Like Miss World and Miss Universe (the other two Big Four Pageants), they are held annually and they serve and hold different meanings.
The winner of Miss International assumes the responsibility of promoting peace and goodwill. In other words, Miss International is the “Ambassador of Peace and Beauty”. Kevin Lilliana of Indonesia won the title of Miss International 2017 on 14th of November 2017.
Similarly, the winner of Miss Earth is expected to enlighten the masses and take responsibility of addressing one or more environmental and global issues. The reigning Miss Earth is Karen Ibasco of the Philippines, who was crowned on 4th November 2017.
A Sandwich Win is a phenomenon when a country wins any of the Big Four Pageants in alternative years, that is, when a country wins a year, then does not win the title in the next year, and then again wins it in the third year. So let’s go ahead and look at the countries who were able to achieve this feat.
MISS INTERNATIONAL
This pageant has encountered a sandwich win two times since its commencement in 1960, in the United States, in Long Beach, California.
The first sandwich win happened in the year 1991, when Agnieszka Kotlarska of Poland won the title of Miss International. The next year, that is 1992, Australia won the title, and Kirsten Davidson was crowned Miss International. Then finally in 1993, Poland won the title again where Agniezka Pachalko was crowned.
The same phenomenon occurred the second time, with Mexico taking the crown in the years 2007 and 2009, with Spain sandwiched with a win in the year 2008. Priscila Perales of Mexico took the crown in the year 2007. In the year 2009, Mexico’s Anagabriela Espinoza was crowned Miss International making it a sandwich win for the country. In 2008, Spain won the pageant.
MISS EARTH
One of the big four beauty pageants, this was launched in the year 2001 by Carousel Productions and has witnessed one sandwich win since then. In the year 2015, Philippines won the title, after winning in 2014 as well. Angelia Ong won Miss Earth 2015, Dayanna Grageda from Australia was Miss Earth – Air, Brittany Payne from the United States was Miss Earth – Water and Thiessa Sickert from Brasil was Miss Earth – Fire. In 2016, Ecuador’s Katherine Espin won the crown, and in 2017, Philippines won the title again where Karen Ibasco was crowned Miss Earth, Nina Robertson from Australia became Miss Earth – Air, Juliana Franco was Miss Earth – Water, and Lada Akimovo from Russia became Miss Earth – Fire.
We hope to see more such special wins in the coming years.