Miss World 2008 was the 58th edition of the Miss World pageant, held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 13 December 2008.
At the end of the event, Zhang Zilin of China crowned Ksenia Sukhinova of Russia as her successor. This is the first victory of Russia after 16 years, and it's overall second victory. The first and second runners-up for this edition is: India's Parvathy Omanakuttan and Trinidad and Tobago's Gabrielle Walcott.
Background Date and location Originally, the pageant was going to take place in Kyiv, Ukraine, but because of the ongoing 2008 Russo-Georgian diplomatic crisis in neighbouring South Ossetia, the Miss World Organization decided to move the pageant away from Eastern Europe.
Selection of participants Replacements Janina San Miguel was replaced by first Runner-up of Binibining Pilipinas, Danielle Castaño due to Janina's personal decision to give up her crown.
Returns, and, withdrawals This edition saw the return of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Honduras, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Taiwan, Uruguay and Zambia; Seychelles, which last competed in 1999, Antigua and Barbuda, Egypt and Honduras in 2004, Taiwan in 2005 and Barbados, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Uruguay and Zambia in 2006.
Estonia, Grenada, Macedonia, Nepal, Panama, Romania, Slovenia and Suriname, withdrew from the competition.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss World 2008 – Ksenia Sukhinova 1st Runner-Up – Parvathy Omanakuttan 2nd Runner-Up – Gabrielle Walcott Top 5 – Birgite dos Santos – Tansey Coetzee Top 15 – Natalie Griffith – Tamara Almeida – Josipa Kusić – Alexandra Ívarsdóttir – Alfina Nasyrova – Anagabriela Espinoza – Ivonne Orsini – Patricia Rodríguez – Iryna Zhuravska – Hannelly Quintero
Continental Queens of Beauty Winners were as follows:Russian crowned Miss World 2008 Continental Group Contestant Africa – Birgite dos Santos Americas – Hannelly Quintero Asia & Oceania – Parvathy Omanakuttan Caribbean – Gabrielle Walcott Europe – Ksenia Sukhinova
Order of Announcements Top 15
Top 5
Contestants
Miss World 2008 had a total of 109 contestants.
Country Contestant Age Hometown Regional Egla Harxhi 17 Tirana Europe Birgite dos Santos 18 Luanda Africa Athina James 18 St. John's Caribbean Agustina Quinteros 18 Santa Rosa Americas Christina Trejo 20 Tanki Flip Caribbean Katie Richardson 20 Albion Park Asia & Oceania Kathrin Krahfuss 23 Graz Europe Tinnyse Johnson 21 Nassau Caribbean Natalie Griffith 18 Bridgetown Caribbean Volha Khizhynkova 21 Vitebsk Europe Alizée Poulicek 21 Brussels Europe Charmaine Chinapen 21 Belize City Americas Jackelin Arias 18 Santa Cruz Americas Tanja Vujičić 18 Nevesinje Europe Itseng Kgomotso 19 Gaborone Africa Tamara Almeida 23 Ipatinga Americas Julia Yurevich 19 Kozloduy Europe Leah Ryerse 20 Hamilton Americas Nicosia Lawson 25 George Town Caribbean Nataly Chilet 23 Santiago Americas Mei Yan Ling25 Dalian Asia & Oceania Katherine Medina 18 Medellín Americas Amalia Matamoros 19 Naranjo Americas Josipa Kusić 20 Zagreb Europe Norayla Francisco 23 Willemstad Caribbean Mari Vasileiou 18 Larnaca Europe Zuzana Jandová 20 Karviná Europe Christelle Mbila 18 Kinshasa Africa Lisa Lents 21 Copenhagen Europe Geisha Montes De Oca 21 Santo Domingo Caribbean Marjorie Cevallos 22 Guayaquil Americas Sanaa Ismail Hamed 24 Alexandria Africa Gabriela Gavidia 18 La Libertad Americas Laura Coleman 22 Leicester Europe Hibret Fekadu 18 Addis Abeba Africa Linda Wikstedt 19 Helsinki Europe Laura Tanguy 20 Angers Europe Khatuna Skhirtladze 18 Tbilisi Europe Anne Katrin Walter 21 Dahme-Spreewald Europe Frances Takyi-Mensah 22 Elmina Africa Krystel Robba 22 Gibraltar Europe Aggeliki Kalaitzi 24 Thessaloniki Europe Frédérika Charpentier 23 Basse-Terre Caribbean Maribel Arana 23 Guatemala City Americas Christa Simmons 23 Georgetown Americas Gabriela Zavala 23 San Pedro Sula Americas Skye Chan 24 Hong Kong Asia & Oceania Szilvia Freire 24 Budapest Europe Alexandra Ívarsdóttir 18 Reykjavík Europe Parvathy Omanakuttan 21 Kottayam Asia & Oceania Sandra Angelia Hadisiswantoro 22 Surabaya Asia & Oceania Sinéad Noonan 21 County Meath Europe Tamar Ziskind 23 Haifa Asia & Oceania Claudia Russo 25 Messina Europe Brittany Lyons 19 Kingston Caribbean Mizuki Kubodera 21 Kanagawa Asia & Oceania Alfina Nassyrova 20 Almaty Asia & Oceania Ruth KinuthiaMiss Kenya 2008 22 Nairobi Africa Ina Avlasēviča 20 Dobele Europe Rosarita Tawil 20 Beirut Asia & Oceania Gabrielė Martirosianaitė 18 Kaunas Europe Soo Wincci 23 Selangor Asia & Oceania Martha Fenech 18 St. Julian's Europe Élodie Delor 18 Fort-de-France Caribbean Olivia Carey 19 Vacoas Africa Anagabriela Espinoza 20 Monterrey Americas Iana Varnacova 17 Chişinău Europe Chinbatyn Anun 23 Ulan Bator Asia & Oceania Mariana Mihajlović 18 Plavnica Europe Marelize Robberts 21 Windhoek Africa Carmen Kool 22 Arnhem Europe Kahurangi Taylor 18 Auckland Asia & Oceania Adaeze Igwe 18 Awka Africa Judith Wilson 23 Enniskillen Europe Lene Egeli 21 Stavanger Europe Gabriela Rejala 19 Ñemby Americas Annmarie Dehainaut 18 Lima Americas Danielle Castaño 19 Quezon City Asia & Oceania Klaudia Ungerman 20 Wysieradz Europe Andreia Rodrigues 24 Lisbon Europe Ivonne OrsiniDe San Juan la corona 20 Bayamón Caribbean Ksenia Sukhinova 21 Tyumen Europe Joy-Ann Biscette 22 Castries Caribbean Stephanie Willemse 19 Glasgow Europe Nevena Lipovac 19 Belgrade Europe Elena Angione 22 Mahé Africa Tyrilla Gouldson 24 Freetown Africa Faraliza Tan 22 Singapore Asia & Oceania Edita Krešáková 19 Seňa Europe Tansey CoetzeeMiss SA 2007 23 Johannesburg Africa Choi Bo-in 22 Seoul Asia & Oceania Patricia RodríguezMiss Spain 2008 18 Granadilla de Abona Europe Rochelle Correa 24 Colombo Asia & Oceania Tiffany SimelaneMiss Swaziland 2008/2009 20 Mhlambanyatsi Africa Jennifer Palm Lundberg 22 Sigtuna Europe Jamie Lin 24 Taichung Asia & Oceania Nasreen KarimMiss Tanzania Past Winners 22 Mwanza Africa Ummarapas Jullakasian 23 Nonthaburi Asia & Oceania Gabrielle Walcott 23 Petit Valley Caribbean Leyla Lydia Tuğutlu 19 Istanbul Europe Dora Mwima 18 Tororo Africa Iryna Zhuravska 18 Kyiv Europe Lane Lindell 18 Tampa Americas Fatimih Dávila 20 Montevideo Americas Hannelly QuinteroMiss World Venezuela 2008 23 Ocumare del Tuy Americas Dương Trương Thiên Lý 19 Đồng Tháp Asia & Oceania Chloe-Beth Morgan 22 Cwmbran Europe Winfridah Mofu 19 Lusaka Africa Cynthia MuvirimiMiss Tourism Zimbabwe 2007. All Africa. 25 Harare Africa
Judges Miss World 2008 contestants were judged based upon the criteria of glamour, beauty, intelligence and poise. Some of the judges were representatives of the Miss World Organization. Some of the contestants, such as Ksenia Sukhinova, communicated with the judges using a translator. Judges for the event were: Julia Morley – Chairwoman of the Miss World Organization. Wilnelia Merced – Miss World 1975 from Puerto Rico Aminurta Kang – Theatre stage director, China and North America Krish Naidoo – International ambassador for Miss World Pearl Luthuli – Group executive public commercial services SABC Lindiwe Mahlangu – Chief executive of the Joburg Tourism Company Precious Moloi-Motsepe – Chairperson of African Fashion International Graham Cooke – President of World Travel
Notes
Designations – Miss Thailand World was not held this year due to the death of Princess Galyani Vadhana, the elder sister of then King Bhumibol Adulyadej, so the previous year's 1st runner-up, Ummarapas Jullakasian represented Thailand.
Replacements – Meriam George was replaced by Sanaa Ismail Hamed at the last minute for some undisclosed reasons. – Valérie Bègue was replaced by Laura Tanguy after suggestive photos of Bègue were released to the public and the Miss France Company decided to bar Bègue from competing internationally after she refused to resign. – Miss Hong Kong 2008 winner Edelweiss Cheung was replaced by the 1st runner-up, Skye Chan. – Jennifer Palm Lundberg placed 3rd Runner-up in the Miss World Sweden pageant, but won the title when each of the original top three placers declined the crown after disagreements over the winner's contract. – Miss Vietnam 2008 Trần Thị Thùy Dung was not allowed to compete after she was found ineligible. The 1st Runner-up Phan Hoàng Minh Thư and the 2nd Runner-up Nguyễn Thụy Vân also were not allowed to compete. After that, Dương Trương Thiên Lý, the 2nd Runner-up of Miss Universe Vietnam 2008 was designated to represent Vietnam.
Withdrawals – Due to lack of funding and sponsorship – Suzana Al-Salkini withdrew due to lack of funding and sponsorship, but she did compete the following year at Miss World 2009. – The organiser of the Miss Nepal pageant said it was postponing the contest scheduled for 23 August 2008 to an unknown date, after the Maoist women's wing, which has trained its sights on Miss Nepal, announced a Kathmandu Valley shutdown on the day to prevent the event. – Kathya Saldaña had problems with the regional organisation and didn't obtain a South African visa in time. – Due to lack of funding and sponsorship – Due to lack of funding and sponsorship – Mireille Nederbiel was not allowed to compete in Miss World by the decision of pageant organizers.
References