"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.