All About Ksenia Sukhinova: Miss World 2008 Winner

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova 2008 has won the title of Miss World 2008 as the Russian beauty queen impressed the judges with her stunning look and talent. When the name of the Miss World 2008 winner was announced by the hosts, Ksenia Sukhinova became overly excited and delighted. In the presence of a number of globally recognized celebrities including actors, actresses and stars of other professions, the grand final turned into a big gather of world stars. The three-hour long grand final was telecast live in more than 180 countries across the world through more than 350 television broadcasters. The glittering ceremony was watched by about 2 billion audience.

Miss World is one of the most popular beauty contests in the world and has huge attraction to the people as well as to the young aspiring models who want to show their beauty, skill and talent to the world. Miss World 2008 was the 58^th Miss World Final since the inception of the beauty pageant by Eric Morley in 1951. This year the final of the beauty pageant took place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Though initially the Miss World 2008 was supposed to take place at Kiev, Ukraine, the beauty contest was later shifted to Johannesburg, South Africa due to political tension between Georgia and Russia.

The grand final was started with the beauty queens coming on the stage wearing evening gown. Then two hosts Taiwanese television presenter, actress, Angela Chao, and South African actor, TV presenter, Tumisho Masha, welcomed everybody in the final. Popular British band group Mcfly and English singer Alesha Dixon performed in the grand ceremony and entertained the present as well as the television audiences. Then the hosts started to announce the names of the winners of 5 Fast Track events in which the winners of four events: Miss World Beach Beauty, Miss World Top Model, Miss World Sports and Miss World Talent- were earlier announced. Only the winner of Miss World Beauty With a Purpose event was not unveiled earlier. This coveted award, which is awarded for charity and philanthropic activities in the society, went to Miss Trinidad & Tobago 2008 Gabrielle Walcott, defeating Miss Hungary 2008 Szilvia Freire, Miss Kenya 2008 Ruth Kinuthia and Miss Mexico 2008 Anagabriela Espinoza. The winners of the 5 Fast Track events were automatically qualified for the semi final. Following the announcement of 5 Fast Track Event winners, 10 other semi finalists were announced. Here, I am giving the full list of top 15 semi finalists:

Top 15 Semi Finalists
Country	Contestant Name
Miss World Beach Beauty	Miss Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza
Miss World Top Model	Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova
Miss World Sports	Miss Iceland Alexandra Ivarsdottir
Miss World Talent	Miss Barbados Natalie Griffith
Miss World Beauty With a Purpose	Miss Trinidad & Tobago Gabrielle Walcott
6th Semi Finalist	Miss Venezuela Hannelly Quintero
7th Semi Finalist	Miss Ukraine Irina Zhuravskaya
8th Semi Finalist	Miss Croatia Josipa Kusic
9th Semi Finalist	Miss Brazil Tamara Almeida
10th Semi Finalist	Miss Angola Brigith dos Santos
11th Semi Finalist	Miss Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova
12th Semi Finalist	Miss Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini
13th Semi Finalist	Miss Spain Patricia Rodríguez
14th Semi Finalist	Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee
15th Semi Finalist	Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan

The designer award went to Miss USA Lane Lindell. After that, all of the top 15 semi finalists walked on the ramp in front of the judges and audience. On the basis of their performance, the top five finalists were decided by the judges. The top five finalists were Miss Angola Brigith dos Santos, Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan, Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova, Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee and Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott.

Then came the question answering session and the judges asked one question to each of the five finalists of Miss World 2008. However, the questions were not same. On the basis of their answers, judges decided the winner of the competition. The winner of the second runner up title was first announced, followed by first runner up and the winner of the competition. The second runner up title went to Miss Trinidad & Tobago Gabrielle Walcott and the first runner up went to Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan. Here, I am giving 10 important information about Miss World 2008 Ksenia Sukhinova:

1. Miss World 2008 Ksenia Sukhinova is a Russian Model.
2. Ksenia Sukhinova was crowed by Miss World 2007 Zhang Zilin from China.
3. The Russian beauty queen, Ksenia Sukhinova, was born in Nizhnevartovsk, Russia in 1987.
4. With 5 feet and 10 inches (1.78 m) of height, the blonde looks stunning.
5. Ksenia Sukhinova’s eye color is blue.
6. Ksenia Sukhinova, representing Tyumen, won the Miss Russia 2007 title on 14 December 2007 at the Gostinom Yard, in Moscow, Russia, defeating 50 other contestants.
7. She was also supposed to take part in the Miss Universe 2008 beauty pageant, but could not compete in the competition because of her college work. So, Vera Krasova, the second runner up of Miss Russia 2007 beauty pageant, replaced Ksenia Sukhinova in Miss Universe 2008 and finished as the third runner up in the competition.
8. Ksenia Sukhinova, the winner of Miss World 2008, also won the title of the Fast Track event- Miss World Top Model 2008- on December 3, 2008.
9. Besides winning the Miss World Top Model event, Ksenia Sukhinova was also the second runner up of Miss World Beach Beauty event, finishing behind first runner up Miss South Africa and winner Miss Mexico.
10. Interestingly, Miss World 2007 Zhang Zilin was also the winner of the fast track event, Miss World Top Model, and was the second runner up of the Miss World Beach Beauty event.

Miss Belize wants to be the first woman to win Miss World 2008

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Name: Miss Charmaine Chinapen

Miss Belize, Charmaine Alisha Chinapen, is a perfect B² (Beauty and Brain). This twenty one year old is definitely going to catch audience’s attention in the final round. Charmaine describes herself as an emphatic, compassionate and goal oriented person. Charmaine also has great patience because it takes a lot of time to read Physical Chemistry Quantum Mechanics books. Charmaine is born to Guyanese parents in Curacao. Her father is a banker. Due to her father’s profession, she moved to different places.

Age: 21

Height: 174 centimeters

Languages: Charmaine can fluently speak in English. She can speak conversational Spanish.

Education and future plans: Charmaine Chinapen has an excellent academic background. In 2004, Charmaine made a record in Country of Belize CXC (Caribbean Examination Council). Charmaine graduated in the second place from St. Catherine Academy. Currently, a senior at St. John’s University, New York, Charmaine is going to start her final semester. She majored in Chemistry and did her minor in Philosophy of Physical Sciences. Charmaine wants to become a neurosurgeon.

Favorite foods: Charmaine is sea food lover. Stuffed clams, lobsters, and crab cakes are some of her favorite sea foods.

Sports and outdoor activities: Charmaine loves rock climbing, swimming, track and field, hiking in the Belizean rainforest, and cycling. During her teenage years, she spent a lot time exploring the Maya ruins and the famous barrier reef.

Hobbies and other interests: Charmaine loves performing arts. She received special trainings in singing, song writing, piano, dancing, acting, etc. Charmaine also likes to write short stories and does fashion designs. In her free times, she plays with her German shepherd, Elle, and play videogames with her brother.

Related article:

pageantsbelize.com

Miss World 2008: 50 Things You Should Know

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

The whole world is now eagerly waiting for another glowing night of Miss World final. This year, the final of Miss World beauty contest is going to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa. Delegates representing several countries and regions are also waiting to show their beauty and talent in front of millions of audience on 13^th December 2008. Many people are unhappy with the way beauty pageants are being carried out and they think that showing women’s body is disgraceful for all women in the world. However, still there are many who are interested in this kind of beauty contests. The final night of Miss World beauty pageant always presents a gleaming ceremony with excellent combination of lighting, and in the presence of a number of world celebrities, the final night of Miss World turns into big show that you may not want to miss. Miss World 2008 final is expected to be no different.

1. Miss World 2008 is the 58th final of this beauty pageant.

2. This year 109 contestants are expected to take part in the competition, which is an all-time record in the history of Miss World beauty pageant. Earlier record of 107 participants was marked in 2004 final. Last year, there were 106 contestants in the pageant.

3. Miss World 2008 final will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on 13 December 2008.

4. Miss World 2008 beauty pageant kicked off on November 16 and will come to end though the final on 13 December.

5. Sandton is located in the Gauteng Province of South Africa and it is in the northern part of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area.

6. The final of the pageant was supposed to take place in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. However, the venue was shifted to Johannesburg due to the current problem between two countries: Georgia and Russia.

7. Current Miss World title holder is Zhang Zilin from China. Zilin won the crown of Miss World 2007, becoming the first Miss World title winner from East Asia.

8. In Miss World 2008, Mei Yan Ling will represent China. No doubt, nothing would make Zhang Zilin happier than crowing Mei Yan Ling as the winner of this year’s final.

9. Highest 40 contestants come from Europe among the 109 participants of the beauty pageant.

10. Among 109 contestants of Miss World 2008, there are 18 from Africa, 19 from America, 19 from Asia-pacific and 13 from Caribbean.

11. There are 5 fast track events in the competition including Beach Beauty, Top Model, Sports, Talent, and Beauty With A Purpose.

12. The winner of these 5 fast track events will automatically be placed among the top 15 semifinalists. Last year, six contestants got into the top 15 through fast track events as there were two winners in the Beauty With A Purpose event.

13. For Miss World 2008, winners of four out of five fast track events have already been declared. However, the winner of the Beauty With A Purpose event will be announced on the final day of the competition during the live telecast of the pageant.

Fast Track Event: Sports

14. Miss World 2008 Sports event was held on 5 December in Muldersdrift, South Africa. There were six top finalists in the event.

15. Miss Iceland Alexandra Ivarsdottir won the Sports event of Miss World 2008 beauty pageant.

16. Miss Nigeria Adaeze Igwe was the 1^st runner and Miss Portugal Andreia Rodrigues was the 2^nd runner up in the Sports event. Three other finalists were Miss Greece Angeliki Kalaitzi, Miss Israel Tamar Ziskind and Miss Peru Annmarie Dehainaut.

Fast Track Event: Talent

17. Miss World 2008 Talent event was held on December 7 at Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South Africa.

18. Miss Barbados Natalie Griffith won Miss World Talent 2008 title among the 22 finalists.

19. Miss Austria Kathrin Krahfuss became the first runner up, while second runner up was Miss Ukraine Irina Zhuravskaya.

Fast Track Event: Top Model

20. Miss World Top Model event of 2008 was organized at Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Soweto, South Africa on 3 December. There were 32 semifinalists in the event.

21. Among the 32 semifinalists, there were 10 finalists and among the 10 finalists, winner, first runner up and second runner up of Miss World Top Model 2008 event were decided.

22. Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova won the title of the Miss World 2008 Top Model event, while Miss Angola Brigith dos Santos and Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan were the first and second runner up respectively.

23. Other top ten finalists of the event were the participants from Croatia, Curacao, Czech Republic, Mexico, South Africa, Spain and Venezuela.

24. Among the top 32 semifinalists were the representatives of Argentina, Barbados, Belarus, Brazil, China PR, Colombia, Ethiopia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Namibia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Zimbabwe.

Fast Track Event: Beach Beauty

25. The event took place at the The Beverly Hills Hotel in Durban, South Africa on November 19.

26. Miss Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza won this event among 25 semifinalists.

27. All the semifinalists of Miss World Beach Beauty 2008 were selected by a panel of judges.

28. Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee was the first runner up and Miss Russia Ksenia Sukhinova was the second runner up in this event.

29. Other top ten finalists were contestants from Angola, India, Lebanon, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela.

30. Besides these top ten finalists, other participants of top 25 semifinalists were the representatives from Australia, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Paraguay, Serbia, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

Fast Track Event: Beauty With A Purpose

31. The participants of Beauty With A Purpose Event are those who are involved in charitable works through which they stand beside the needy people in their country.

32. There are top 4 finalists of Miss World Beauty With A Purpose event. I already mentioned that the winner of this event will be announced on the final night of the beauty pageant.

33. The top 4 finalists of Beauty With A Purpose event are Miss Hungary Szilvia Freire, Miss Ruth Kinuthia, Miss Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza and Miss Trinidad & Tobago Gabrielle Walcott.

34. Some of the participants are marked as long shots. Participants representing countries which have political tension are considered to be long shots. The political crisis might affect the competition and the Miss People’s Choice will be decided though online voting. There are several long shot contestants including Miss India 2008 Parvathy Omanakuttan.

35. Miss Germany 2008 Anne-Kathrin Walter has been the biggest long shot of the pageant.

36. South Africa based energy company TOTAL S.A. has sponsored all fuel requirements of Miss World 2008 beauty contest.

37. Katherine Medina is representing host South Africa in Miss World 2008 beauty pageant.

38. The dress rehearsal of Miss World 2008 final takes place on 11 and 12 December, before the final of the pageant on 13 December.

39. Seychelles has sent its delegation, Elena Angione, in this year’s Miss World beauty pageant for the first time since Miss World 1999 beauty competition.

40. Last time Antigua & Barbuda, Egypt and Honduras participated in the competition was in 2004, and Chinese Taipei took part in the pageant last time was in 2005, while Barbados, Congo DR, Portugal, St. Lucia, Uruguay and Zambia only missed Miss World 2007 final.

41. Miss Jamaica 2008, Brittany Lyons, is shortest among 109 contestants with 166 centimeter of height.

42. Miss Sierra Leone 2008, Tyrilla Gouldson, is tallest among the 109 participants with 188 centimeter of height.

43. Age of all of the 109 beauty queens ranges from 17 to 25.

44. First runner up of Miss Thailand 2007, Ummarapas Jullakasia, will represent Thailand in Miss World 2008 because Miss Thailand beauty contest did not take place this year due to the death of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana.

45. Angela Chow, a journalist, actress and television presenter from Taiwan, and Tumisho Masha, an actor and television presenter from South Africa, will host the final of Miss World 2008.

46. A former VJ for MTV Asia and Channel V music channels, Angela Chow, is not a new face in Miss World beauty pageant. In fact, she is well-known as a Miss World host since Miss World 2003. She is a Du Bao Magazine Critique and hosts a talk show titled Good Morning China.

47. Miss World 2008 delegates of eight countries, who will compete in Confederations Cup 2009 football tournament, will participate in the official draw of Confederations Cup 2009 tournament.

48. Miss Philippines 2008 Janina San Miguel decided not to participate in Miss World 2008 beauty pageant due to her personal problem. So, Miss Philippines 2008 first runner up, Danielle Castano, will represent Philippines in the beauty pageant.

49. After it was reveled that Miss Vietnam 2008, Tran Thị Thuy Dung, did not graduate from high school, her entry to the Miss World 2008 was taken away. So, second runner up of Miss Vietnam 2008 competition, Duong Truong Thien Ly, has been named as replacement.

50. Alesha Dixon, BBC dancing competition champion of 2007, will perform in Miss World 2008 beauty pageant final in front of an estimated audience of two billion people.