ALTHOUGH she didn’t cop the coveted crown at the 51st Miss World Pageant, which was won by 18-year-old Nigerian beauty Agbani Darego, Guyana’s Olive Gopaul says she is, nevertheless, satisfied with her performance.

“While it would have been a joy to win the coveted crown for my country, I am nevertheless, very satisfied that I was able to promote and market my country, Guyana, and what it has to offer,” she told the Chronicle by telephone yesterday. Olive had just arrived at the London home of her hostess, Ms Marion Herbert, First Secretary at the Guyana High Commission in London.

“It was obvious that many of the contestants, and even people at the resort, did not know about Guyana, because whenever I mentioned the name, they would confuse it with Ghana, and for this I think my mission was somewhat of a success,” Olive said.

The Guyanese beauty said she has made lasting friends, among them Miss Nigeria, who she has invited to a ‘fundraiser’ to be held in London shortly for the local charity, ‘Kids First Fund’ of which First Lady Varshnie Jagdeo is patron.

She has also befriended Miss Northern Ireland, Angela McCarthy, who was her room-mate; Miss Venezuela; Miss France; Miss United States of America and Miss South Africa among others.

Describing the experience as “a wonderful one”, Olive said it has taught her a lot and allowed her to grow in many ways. “I am happy for the winner,” she said.

Olive, who was among 93 contestants, confessed that she had not been aware that she had been voted among the Top Ten by unofficial bookmakers, Global Beauties, until she received a call from her dad, Mr Jack Morgan.

But what was very surprising to most of the contestants, she said, was the fact that of the final ten listed by the official pageant bookmakers, Ladbrokes, only Miss Nigeria made it to the finals. “My dad even informed me that I was ahead of Chile,” Olive said.

“The announcement of the final ten was quite surprising and funny, and when we all went backstage after the names of the finalists were announced, I couldn’t help laughing, and most of the girls joined with me,” she recalled.

“There we all were, including most of the popular faces until this week, all of us were backstage,” she said, still amused about the announcement.

Olive said her pageant gown was a body-fitting ivory and gold ensemble complemented with an ivory lace train. It was designed with turtles, which depicted her platform. The Indian-made material was purchased from a store in London.

She was, however, disappointed that she was not allowed to do justice to her talent piece, a dramatic poem titled ‘Culture Me’ put together by herself and Mr Errol Chand.

Olive explained that when she first dramatised the poem, everyone loved it, including Ms Morley, wife of the late founder of the Miss World Pageant. But, for some unexplained reason, she was not allowed to dramatise it afterwards.

Other surprises included the contestants being told that the talent piece would not have, in anyway, enhanced their chances at the crown. Yet on the night in question, it was announced that the talent segment was part of the competition. They learnt too, that web site votes were to be tabulated.

Olive said she arrived in London at 05:15 GMT, after a flight she described as good compared to her journey to South Africa, which she said had left her dehydrated and unable to sleep.

Franchise-holder of the Guyana leg of the Miss World Pageant, Mr Ken Chung, hailed Ms Gopaul as being a “good Ambassador for Guyana”.

According to him, “Despite not winning the crown, she definitely put Guyana on top by making the contestants aware of where the country is.”

Olive, who he said has been “causing a stir” in London, as everyone adores her, “worked very hard, did her best and we should all be proud of her”.

“She came, she saw and she conquered, and is a very good example of what Guyana can produce, and which will definitely help in getting new people to visit Guyana some day ” Chung surmised.

Chung, who has been living in London for some 38 years, said he is convinced that Olive has boosted his ownership of the franchise and made his bid for it worthwhile. “It is the best thing I could have done to give something back to my country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Olive’s hostess, Ms Herbert, has described her as a “loving child; very warm; very intelligent and definitely having far to go.”

Olive is due to leave London for Guyana on November 25, but according to her, she has been receiving numerous invitations to extend her stay. (WENDELLA DAVIDSON)