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Russian crowned Miss World 2008
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-14 09:57

Ksenya Sukhinova of Russia reacts after being crowned Miss World as Tansey Coetzee of South Africa (L) applauds, at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg December 13, 2008. [Agencies] 

She is a student pursuing an engineering degree from the Tyumen Oil and Gas University.

Sukhinova becomes the second Miss Russia to win the global event after Julia Kourochkina took the crown in 1992.

India's Omanakuttan wooed the crowd by greeting them in the Afrikaans language, spoken by many in South Africa. She also referred to heroes such as Mahatma Ghandi and South Africa's first black president Nelson Mandela, who was quoted by Trinidad and Tobago's Walcott as well.

Contestants, aged 17 to 25, were dressed by South African and Jamaican designers for the final show after a month of galas, rehearsals and even a safari on the tip of the African continent.

Trading glamour for the bush, the beauties donned T-shirts and sneakers as they gamely tramped into the bush to see lions and giraffes, play African drums, sleep in huts and cook traditional Zulu meals.

Johannesburg sought to use the event to boost its image as a world class city, while the country also hopes to benefit from the publicity ahead of staging the football World Cup in 2010.