Who? Russia Is Miss World 2008

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

The second runner up was Gabrielle Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and the first runner up Parvathay Omanakuttan of India.

The 21-year-old blue-eyed blonde beauty, who declared shortly before her win was announced that being nervous made her "feel stronger," takes over from Zhang Zi Lin of China to become the 58th Miss World.

"I think I can help people and I want to help people and today if I walk away with this crown I will do that," Sukhinova told judges through a translator after being asked why she should be crowned the winner.

Hailing from Nizhnevartovsk in the north west of Siberia, Sukhinova was dressed in a purple gown, with a decorative neckline and flowing skirt.

She is a student pursuing a science degree as an engineer of administration from the Tyumen Oil and Gas University.

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

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Miss World 2008