{{Short description|47th Miss Universe pageant}} {{pp-sock|small=yes}} {{more footnotes|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox beauty pageant | photo = File:Wendy_Fitzwilliam.jpg | caption = Wendy Fitzwilliam | date = 12 May 1998 | presenters = {{Hlist|[[Jack Wagner (actor)|Jack Wagner]]|[[Ali Landry]]|[[Julie Moran]]}} | acts = {{Hlist|[[K-Ci & JoJo]]|Sunland}} | venue = [[Stan Sheriff Center|Stan Sheriff Arena]], [[Honolulu]], Hawaii, United States | broadcaster = {{Hlist|[[CBS]] ([[KGMB]])}} | entrants = 81 | placements = 10 | debuts = {{Hlist|Angola}} | withdraws = {{Hlist|Bermuda|Iceland|Turks and Caicos Islands}} | returns = {{Hlist|Ghana|Great Britain|Guam|Japan|Netherlands|Nicaragua|Nigeria|Norway|Yugoslavia}} | winner = [[Wendy Fitzwilliam]] | represented = Trinidad and Tobago | before = [[Miss Universe 1997|1997]] | next = [[Miss Universe 1999|1999]] }}
'''Miss Universe 1998''' was the 47th [[Miss Universe]] pageant, was held at the [[Stan Sheriff Center|Stan Sheriff Arena]] in [[Honolulu]], Hawaii, United States, on 12 May 1998. [[Wendy Fitzwilliam]] of Trinidad and Tobago was crowned by [[Brook Lee]] of the United States at the end of the event.
This marked the only second time that Trinidad and Tobago has won Miss Universe. Eighty-one contestants competed in this year.
==Background== ===Selection of participants=== ==== Replacements ==== [[Linor Abargil]], [[Miss Israel]] 1998 couldn't compete due to being underage. Hagit Raz, the first runner-up, went in her place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-482048,FF.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020204112531/http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-482048,FF.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-02-04|title=Ynet - מלכות יופי|date=2002-02-04|access-date=2019-04-16}}</ref> The winner of Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1998, [[Tisha Silang]] had to resign due to her Canadian citizenship. The pageant's first runner-up, Jewel Mae Lobaton, was selected as her replacement.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |last2= |date=April 26, 2010 |title=Top 10 Dethroned Beauty Queens |url=http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/41706/top-10-dethroned-beauty-queens |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721074453/http://www.spot.ph:80/newsfeatures/41706/top-10-dethroned-beauty-queens |archive-date=2010-07-21 |access-date=October 3, 2021 |website=SPOT.PH |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=March 17, 1998 |title=RP entries |work=[[Manila Standard]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6ZYVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9goEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4545%2C1803584 |access-date=October 3, 2021}}</ref>
==Results== ===Placements=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" |- ! Placement !! Contestant |- | Miss Universe 1998 | * {{flagu|Trinidad and Tobago}} – [[Wendy Fitzwilliam]]<ref>{{cite web |date=November 17, 2014 |title= Wendy Fitzwilliam, Miss Universo 1998 |url= https://www.telemundo.com/entretenimiento/tmna775411 |accessdate=March 20, 2026 |website=Telemundo|language=es}}</ref> |- | 1st Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Republic of Venezuela|1954|name=Venezuela}} – [[Veruska Ramírez]] |- | 2nd Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Puerto Rico}} – [[Joyce Giraud]] |- | Top 5 | * {{flagu|Colombia}} – Silvia Fernanda Ortíz * {{flagu|United States}} – [[Shawnae Jebbia]] |- | Top 10 | * {{flagu|Brazil}} – Michella Marchi * {{flagu|India}} – [[Lymaraina D'Souza]] * {{flagu|Ireland}} – [[Andrea Roche]] * {{flagu|Russia}} – [[Anna Malova]] * {{flagu|South Africa}} - [[Kerishnie Naicker|Kerishnie Naiker]] |}
=== Special awards === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" |- ! Award ! Contestant |- | Best National Costume | * {{flagu|Trinidad and Tobago}} – [[Wendy Fitzwilliam]] |- | Clairol Style Award | * {{flagu|Mexico}} – [[Katty Fuentes]]<ref>{{cite web |title= Clairol Herbal Essences Style Award goes to Katty Fuentes, MISS MEXICO 1998 |url= https://www.upi.com/News_Photos/view/upi/237f6511eca2554bab9f50d95aa049f9/Clairol-Herbal-Essences-Style-Award-goes-to-Katty-Fuentes-MISS-MEXICO-1998/ |accessdate=March 20, 2026 |website=upi.com }}</ref> |- | Miss Photogenic | * {{Flagu|Slovakia}} – Vladimíra Hreňovčíková |- | Miss Congeniality | * {{flagu|Turkey}} – [[Asuman Krause]]<ref>{{cite web |title= Asuman Krause, MISS TURKEY 1998, was awarded the Congeniality award |url= https://www.upi.com/News_Photos/view/upi/1f764dcdd6545e6afefb8c659c0493db/-Asuman-Krause-MISS-TURKEY-1998-was-awarded-the-Congeniality-award/ |accessdate=March 20, 2026 |website=upi.com }}</ref> |}
== Contestants == [[File:Miss Universe 1998 Map.PNG|thumb|250px|Countries and territories which sent delegates and results for Miss Universe 1998]]Eighty-one contestants competed for the title. {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" !Country/Territory !Contestant !Age !Hometown |- |{{flagicon|ANG}} [[Miss Angola|Angola]] |Emilia Guardano |22 |[[Benguela]] |- |{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Miss Argentina|Argentina]] |Marcela Brane<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-15 |title=“Más linda que nunca”: qué fue de Marcela Brane, la protagonista de la publicidad de Reduce Fat-Fast |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/mas-linda-que-nunca-que-fue-de-marcela-brane-la-protagonista-de-la-publicidad-de-reduce-fat-fast-nid15042021/ |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=LA NACION |language=es}}</ref> |24 |[[Córdoba, Argentina|Cordoba]] |- |{{flagicon|ARU}} [[Miss Aruba|Aruba]] |Wendy Lacle |21 |[[San Nicolaas]] |- |{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Miss Universe Australia|Australia]] |Renee Henderson |21 |[[Melbourne]] |- |{{flagicon|Bahamas}} [[Miss Universe Bahamas|Bahamas]] |Juliette Sargent |19 |[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] |- |{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Miss Belgium|Belgium]] |[[Sandrine Corman]] |18 |[[Verviers]] |- |{{flagicon|BLZ}} [[Miss Universe Belize|Belize]] |Elvia Vega |19 |[[Corozal Town|Corozal]] |- |{{flagicon|BOL}} [[Miss Bolivia|Bolivia]] |Veronica Larrieu |23 |[[Santa Cruz de la Sierra]] |- |{{flagicon|BON}} [[Miss Bonaire|Bonaire]] |Uzmin Everts |18 |[[Kralendijk]] |- |{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Miss Brazil|Brazil]] |Michella Marchi |20 |[[Dourados]] |- |{{flagicon|VGB}} [[Miss British Virgin Islands|British Virgin Islands]] |Kaida Donovan |23 |West-End |- |{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Miss Universe Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] |Natalia Gourkova |20 |[[Sofia]] |- |{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Miss Universe Canada|Canada]] |[[Juliana Thiessen-Day|Juliana Thiessen]] |18 |[[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] |- |{{flagicon|CHL}} [[Miss Universo Chile|Chile]] |Claudia Arnello |22 |[[Santiago]] |- |{{flagicon|COL}} [[Miss Colombia|Colombia]] |Silvia Fernanda Ortiz |21 |[[Bucaramanga]] |- |{{flagicon|CRC}} [[Miss Costa Rica|Costa Rica]] |Kisha Alvarado<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 October 1997 |title=Y construyó su sueño... |trans-title=And she built her dream... |url=https://www.nacion.com/archivo/y-construyo-su-sueno/QSREJDC5RJHPVAH5GBGOZTV64A/story/ |access-date=28 September 2025 |website=La Nación |language=es}}</ref> |21 |[[San José, Costa Rica|San José]] |- |{{flagicon|CRO}} [[Miss Universe Croatia|Croatia]] |Ivana Grzetić |19 |[[Dubrovnik]] |- |{{flagicon|CUR}} [[Curaçao]] |Natacha Bloem |21 |[[Willemstad]] |- |{{flagicon|CYP}} [[Miss Cyprus|Cyprus]] |Daniella Iordanova |20 |[[Larnaca]] |- |{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Miss České republiky|Czech Republic]] |Kristina Fridvalská |20 |[[Beroun]] |- |{{flagicon|DOM}} [[Miss Dominican Republic|Dominican Republic]] |Selinés Méndez |23 |[[Santo Domingo]] |- |{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Miss Ecuador|Ecuador]] |Soraya Hogonaga |21 |[[Guayaquil]] |- |{{flagicon|EGY}} [[Miss Egypt|Egypt]] |Karine Fahmy |19 |[[Cairo]] |- |{{flagicon|SLV}} [[Nuestra Belleza El Salvador|El Salvador]] |María Gabriela Jovel |24 |[[San Salvador]] |- |{{flagicon|EST}} [[Miss Estonia|Estonia]] |Mari Loorens |25 |[[Tallinn]] |- |{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Miss Finland|Finland]] |Jonna Kauppila |21 |[[Kokkola]] |- |{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Miss France|France]] |[[Sophie Thalmann]] |22 |[[Bar-le-Duc]] |- |{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Miss Universe Germany|Germany]] |Katharina Mainka |22 |[[Neustadt an der Weinstraße]] |- |{{flagicon|GHA}} [[Miss Universe Ghana|Ghana]] |Francisca Awuah |20 |[[Cape Coast]] |- |{{flagicon|GRB}} [[Miss Universe Great Britain|Great Britain]] |[[Leilani Dowding]] |19 |[[Bournemouth]] |- |{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Star Hellas|Greece]] |Dimitra Eginiti |19 |[[Athens]] |- |{{flagicon|GUM}} [[Miss Guam|Guam]] |Joylyn Munoz |21 |[[Barrigada, Guam|Barrigada]] |- |{{flagicon|GUA}} [[Miss Guatemala|Guatemala]] |Astrid Ramírez |21 |[[Guatemala City]] |- |{{flagicon|HON|variant=1949}} [[Miss Honduras|Honduras]] |[[Dania Prince]] |18 |[[Choluteca, Choluteca|Choluteca]] |- |{{flagicon|HKG}} [[Miss Hong Kong Pageant|Hong Kong]] |Virginia Yung |24 |Hong Kong |- |{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Miss Universe Hungary|Hungary]] |Agnes Nagy |18 |[[Budapest]] |- |{{flagicon|IND}} [[Femina Miss India|India]] |[[Lymaraina D'Souza]] |19 |[[Mumbai]] |- |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Miss Universe Ireland|Ireland]] |[[Andrea Roche]] |21 |[[Clonmel]] |- |{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Miss Israel|Israel]] |Hagit Raz |18 |[[Holon]] |- |{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Miss Universo Italia|Italy]] |Claudia Trieste |18 |[[Calabria]] |- |{{flagicon|JAM}} [[Miss Jamaica Universe|Jamaica]] |Shani McGraham |18 |[[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] |- |{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Miss Universe Japan|Japan]] |Nana Okumura |24 |[[Tokyo]] |- |{{flagicon|LBN}} [[Miss Lebanon|Lebanon]] |Nina Kadis |24 |[[Hadchit]] |- |{{flagicon|MYS}} [[Miss Universe Malaysia|Malaysia]] |[[Sherine Wong]] |19 |[[Kuala Lumpur]] |- |{{flagicon|MLT}} [[Miss Malta|Malta]] |Carol Cassar |20 |[[Valletta]] |- |{{flagicon|MUS}} [[Miss Mauritius|Mauritius]] |Leena Ramphul |21 |[[Port Louis]] |- |{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Mexicana Universal|Mexico]] |[[Katty Fuentes]] |21 |[[Monterrey]] |- |{{flagicon|NAM}} [[Miss Namibia|Namibia]] |Retha Reinders |– |[[Windhoek]] |- |{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Miss Nederland|Netherlands]] |Jacqueline Rotteveel |18 |[[Bilthoven]] |- |{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Miss Universe New Zealand|New Zealand]] |Rosemary Rassell |22 |[[Tauranga]] |- |{{NIC}} |Claudia Alaniz |21 |[[Managua]] |- |{{flagicon|NGA}} [[Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria|Nigeria]] |Chika Chikezie |21 |[[Imo State|Imo]] |- |{{flagicon|MNP}} [[Miss Marianas|Northern Mariana Islands]] |Helene Yun Lizama |22 |[[Dandan, Saipan|Dandan]] |- |{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Miss Norway|Norway]] |Stine Bergsvand |22 |[[Stathelle]] |- |{{flagicon|PAN}} [[Señorita Panamá|Panama]] |[[Tanisha Drummond]] |21 |[[Colón, Panama|Colón]] |- |{{flagicon|PAR}} [[Miss Paraguay|Paraguay]] |Luz Marina González |19 |[[Pilar, Paraguay|Pilar]] |- |{{flagicon|PER}} [[Miss Perú 2000|Peru]] |Karim Bernal |23 |[[Lima]] |- |{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Binibining Pilipinas 1998|Philippines]] |Jewel Lobaton<ref name=":1" /> |21 |[[Bacolod]] |- |{{flagicon|POL}} [[Miss Polonia|Poland]] |Sylwia Kupiec |22 |[[Tczew]] |- |{{flagicon|POR}} [[Miss República Portuguesa|Portugal]] |Icilia Berenguel |21 |[[Póvoa de Varzim]] |- |{{flagicon|PUR}} [[Miss Universe Puerto Rico|Puerto Rico]] |[[Joyce Giraud]] |23 |[[Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico|Aguas Buenas]] |- |{{flagicon|ROM}} [[Miss Romania|Romania]] |Juliana Elena Verdes |19 |[[Galați]] |- |{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Miss Russia|Russia]] |[[Anna Malova]] |23 |[[Moscow]] |- |{{flagicon|SGP}} [[Miss Universe Singapore|Singapore]] |Alice Lim |22 |Singapore |- |{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Miss Universe Slovenskej Republiky|Slovakia]] |Vladimíra Hreňovčíková |19 |[[Zvolen]] |- |{{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Miss South Africa|South Africa]] |[[Kerishnie Naicker|Kerishnie Naiker]] |20 |[[Durban]] |- |{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Miss Korea|South Korea]] |Kim Ji-yeon |25 |[[Seoul]] |- |{{flagicon|SPA}} [[Miss Spain|Spain]] |María José Besora |22 |[[Murcia]] |- |{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Miss Sweden|Sweden]] |[[Jessica Olérs]] |20 |[[Borlänge]] |- |{{flagicon|CHE}} [[Miss Switzerland|Switzerland]] |Tanja Gutmann |21 |[[Zürich]] |- |{{flagicon|TWN|variant=Chinese Taipei}} [[Miss Chinese Taipei|Taiwan]] |Annie Tsai |25 |Nantou |- |{{flagicon|THA}} [[Miss Universe Thailand|Thailand]] |Chalida Thaochalee |24 |[[Bangkok]] |- |{{flagicon|TTO}} [[Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidad and Tobago]] |[[Wendy Fitzwilliam]] |25 |[[Diego Martin]] |- |{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Miss Turkey|Turkey]] |[[Asuman Krause]] |22 |[[Ankara]] |- |{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Miss Ukraine Universe|Ukraine]] |Olena Spirina |18 |[[Kharkiv]] |- |{{flagicon|USA}} [[Miss USA 2002|United States]] |[[Shawnae Jebbia]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=Mary |date=1998-03-11 |title=Miss Massachusetts wins Miss USA crown |publisher=Lundington Daily News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.co.nz/newspapers?id=vZEKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-UsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7104,5569287&dq=miss-usa+mary-foster&hl=en}}</ref> |26 |[[Santa Rosa, California|Santa Rosa]] |- |{{flagicon|VIR}} [[Miss US Virgin Islands|United States Virgin Islands]] |Leah Webster |24 |[[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint Thomas]] |- |{{flagicon|URU}} [[Miss Uruguay|Uruguay]] |Virginia Russo |24 |[[Montevideo]] |- |{{flagicon|VEN}} [[Miss Venezuela|Venezuela]] |[[Veruska Ramírez]] |18 |[[Táriba]] |- |{{flagicon|SCG}} [[Miss Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] |Jelena Trninić |18 |[[Belgrade]] |- |{{flagicon|ZIM}} [[Miss Zimbabwe|Zimbabwe]] |Selina Stuart |20 |[[Harare]] |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Miss Universe 1998}} * [https://www.missuniverse.com/ Miss Universe official website]
{{Miss Universe}} {{Miss Universe 1998 delegates}}
[[Category:Miss Universe by year|1998]] [[Category:1998 in the United States]] [[Category:1998 beauty pageants]] [[Category:Beauty pageants in the United States]] [[Category:1998 in Hawaii]] [[Category:1990s in Honolulu]] [[Category:May 1998 in the United States]]