Ms Russia is Miss World, Ms India first runner up

CROWNING GLORY: Ms World 2008, Kseniya Sukhinova (C) with Parvathy Omanakuttai (L) and Gabrielle Walcott.

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New Delhi: Miss Russia Kseniya Sukhinova has been crowned Miss World 2008 at a glittering ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan finished as the first runner up and Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott was the second runner-up.

"Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event.

Sukhinova was crowned after a two-hour spectacle in Johannesburg on Saturday that combined elements of travelogue and reality show, and the kind of flag-waving usually seen at sports events. She beamed as she was crowned.

Sukhinova also had won the contest's top model award and was third in the swimsuit competition. She was a crowd favorite — though not as popular as hometown beauty Miss South Africa, Tansey Coetzee. Coetzee made the final five.

Among the other five finalists were Ms South Africa Tansey Coetzee and Ms Angola Brigite Santos.

The final round was being held in Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg and the country was said to be expecting one billion-strong TV audience for the event aired on Zee Cafe.

Names of the semi finalists:

- Miss Russia Kseniya Sukhinova

- Miss Mexico Ana Gabriela Espinoza Marroquin

- Miss Iceland Alexandra Helga Ivarsdottir

- Miss Barbados Natalie, Olivia Griffith

- Miss Venezuela Hannely Zulami Quintero Ledezma

- Miss Ukraine Iryna Zhuravska

- Miss Croatia Josipa Kusic

- Miss Brazil Tamara Almeida Silva

- Miss Angola Brigite Santos

- Miss Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova

- Miss Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini Lopex

- Miss Spain Patricia Yurena Rodriguez Alonjo

- Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee

Parvathy's crucial answer

Parvathy impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants at the Sandton Convention Center.

Exuding charm in her white gown, Parvathy cat-walked confidently on the stage to answer her question in the final round. She was asked what being in South Africa meant for her. To this she compared the "similarity in the cultures" of India and South Africa and thanked the locals for their hospitality. She also compared legends Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and how inextricably linked the two countries' fates have been.

Earlier, a collective cheer went up in the audience when Paravathy’s name was announced at the end of a 15-name long list of semi finalists.

Other semi-finalists included Ms Trinidad and Tobago, Ms US, Ms Guatemala, Ms Venezuela, Ms Ukraine, Ms Croatia, Ms Brazil, Ms Angola, Ms Kazakhstan, Ms Puerto Rico, Ms Spain, Ms Russia and Ms South Africa.

Who is Parvathy?

Twenty-one-year-old Parvathy stands tall at 5 feet 9 inches and hails from Kerala. India had high hopes on her to win the crown that last came to the country in 2000.