Jamaica has always enjoyed favourable placings in international pageants and local delegates are usually singled out at the start of such events. However, Monday night’s second place finish by Yendi Phillipps, is Jamaica’s highest placing at Miss Universe. The closest Jamaica has ever fared was in 1991, when international model, Kimberly Mais took 5th place.

Speaking to the Observer yesterday, Kimberly pointed to a number of similarities between her year and the 2010 pageant. That year the pageant was also held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Miss Mexico also won the pageant back then.

Commenting on Yendi’s performance, a clearly proud Kimberly noted that Yendi’s second place was a major accomplishment. “I was anxious, nervous and excited all in one. I was grabbing my children’s hands as we watched. It was amazing to see her on stage, a true fighter and competitor from the start to the very end, she did everything right…nothing wrong. She truly made me feel proud,” she gushed.

When asked to comment on Yendi’s choice of evening gown, which many feel denied her the crown, Kimberly paused, then noted that Jamaica’s representatives are limited in their choice based on resources, compared to other countries. She added, “Yendi must have felt it was the right gown for her, and in my estimation, she was able to carry it off with confidence.”

Another former Miss Jamaica Universe, Angelie Martin, also defended Yendi’s evening gown. “I helped prepare Yendi prior to her departure for Miss Universe and I know she worked closely with designer Karl Williams of Uzuri to create the dress. She chose the colour — turquoise — as she felt it went well with her skin tone, and also preferred that silhouette which she agreed worked for her body type.” However, Angelie did note that Yendi placed second in the evening gown competition, therefore it could have been felt that this helped to bring down her overall scores.

“What’ she needed was a gown to take everyone’s breath away once she stepped on stage and Miss Mexico seemed to do that based on the judges scores,” she explained. Angelie, who represented Jamaica at Miss Universe in The Philippines in 1994, was however quick to say how proud she was of Yendi’s performance, stating that the hard work the 24-year-old queen had put in paid good dividends and that both Yendi and Jamaica should be proud of her achievements.

In the past 21 years Jamaica has made it into the semi-finals at Miss Universe on five occasions. In 1989 Sandra Foster placed ninth in the pageant which was held in Cancun, Mexico. Two years later Kimberly Mais made it to the sixth spot. It would be another 10 years before another local queen broke the top 10 barrier. In 1999 Nicole Haughton copped the ninth sport in the finals in Trinidad & Tobago. Five year’s later, in 2004 in Ecuador, Christine Straw took Jamaica into the top 10. Yendi’s performance is the best -ever showing by Jamaica at Miss Universe.