No successor named for Miss Jamaica World 2006
FIVE weeks after relinquishing her title as Miss Jamaica World 2006, Sara Lawrence has not been replaced, and Spartan Health Club – the local Miss World franchise owner – appears to be playing for time.
Last month, 22-year-old Lawrence, who also copped the regional award for the Caribbean, issued a statement saying she was relinquishing her crown because she was expecting to “become a mother later this year”.
Up to now, however, Spartan has not made any announcements as to what actions it will take or about who will replace Lawrence for the four months until Miss Jamaica World 2007 is held in August.
The usual practice is for the first runner-up to the queen to take the crown, if the winner forfeits for any reason. The runner-up to Sara was 24-year-old Miss Diet Ting, Christelle Harris, granddaughter of the well-known racing couple, Laurie and
Ruth Hussey.
Lawrence told the Sunday Observer by telephone that she wasn’t sure what the organisers’ plans or
decisions were.
“There are no new developments. I haven’t had any updates or been to any meetings. I don’t know any more than you do at this point,” she said.
The Sunday Observer tried without success to get comments on the matter from Mickey Haughton-James, head of Spartan.
In a letter to Haughton-James, executive chairman of Miss World Ltd, Julia Morley, said she didn’t plan on stripping Lawrence of the Caribbean component of her crown.
“I have no intention of removing her title. I think we should all stand together on this matter and whilst this obviously is not a normal situation, it would be ridiculous not to realise these things do happen and we must realise that in the 21st century it is more likely to happen,” read the letter which was posted on Spartan’s website.
Of Sara’s contribution to Jamaica and of her personality, Morley said: “I think that Sara is such a brilliant girl, her behaviour and promotion of Jamaica was second to none. She is a warm, compassionate, kind, caring girl and I truly believe that we must accept that she has made her statement with grace and truth.”
