Parvathy Omanakuttan of India was picked up as the first runner-up of the 2008 Miss World contest held at Johannesburg on Saturday (December 13) evening. The coveted crown of Miss World was bagged by Kseniya Sukhinova of Russia while Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott won third place. The 21-year-old south Indian supermodel, Parvathy impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants of the beauty contest.

 

India won the last Miss World title about seven years ago when Priyanka Chopra was crowned in the year 2000. People of the country had high hopes on the Parvathy to win the crown but she was finally defeated by Miss Russia. It is estimated that over billion people from 187 countries watched the broadcast of the event.

 

Before the beauty pageant, Parvathy was considered as the strong contender for the crown with several experts admiring her talent and look. The dusky south Indian beauty received much of appreciation for her enticing smile. Apart from Priyanka Chopra, other Indian beauties who made the country proud include Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997) and Yukta Mookhey (1999).