Saturday, December 13, 2008

Ksenia Sukhinova: Miss World 2008 (Photos)

Ksenia Sukhinova is Miss World 2008. Born in Nizhnevartovsk, Russia, the 21-year-old former Miss Russia won the beauty pageant at the Johannesburg, South Africa, ceremony today. When she isn't participating in contests, she is a student in engineering at Tumin University of Oil and Gas.

Although Sukhinova won the Miss Russia pageant in 2007, she was unable to compete in Miss Universe 2008 due to her academic obligations. Runner-up Vera Krasova took her place instead. This is the first year she has gone on to the finals in an international competition.

In Russian, Ksenia Sukhinova's name is spelled Ксения Сухинов. Before winning the Miss World finals, she was the second runner-up in the Miss World 2008 Beach Beauty competition and was fast-tracked to the finals after becoming Miss World Top Model.

The first Russian winner of Miss World was Julia Kourotchkina, who won in 1992. Ksenia is the second.