Danielle Castano bikini photo

Danielle Castano is the Miss Philippines World 2008 contestant. She was the first runner-up in the Binibining Pilipinas 2008 contest, and won five special awards.

Danielle was born and brought up in Marikina City, and now lives in Quezon City.  She has two younger sisters.

Danielle Castano photo

Danielle Castano is into sports and was in the track and field varsity team in Hoover High School in the US where she completed her secondary education. She also enjoys volleyball, boxing, and going to the gym.

Danielle wants to train as a nurse or a dental technician in the Airforce.

Danielle Castano Miss Philippines World 2008 bikini photo

Danielle Castano likes belly dancing, listening to music like hip hop, jazz & R&B, and cooking. She enjoys Filipino cooking, which she says is influenced by Chinese, Malay, Arab, Spanish and American settlers.

Her personal motto is: In dreams begin responsibilities.

Danielle Castano

Danielle says she admires Nelson Mandela the most in the world, her favorite movie is The Passion of Christ, and her favorite band is a Filipino band, Side A.

Danielle has said that she has been training hard for the Miss World 2008 contests, and hopes the bring the Miss World crown to the Philippines for the first time. Danielle was intensively trained in catwalk skills, personal grooming, and personality development by experts.

Danielle Castano was the first runner-up in the Miss Philippines 2008 contest. The original Miss Philippines World 2008 was Janina San Miguel. In September 2008, Janina San Miguel resigned as Philippines representative to the Miss World 2008 contest, due to personal reasons. It was then decided that the first runner-up  Danielle Castano would be sent to Johannesburg as the Miss Philippines World 2008.

Age: 18
Occupation: Model
Height: 179cm

Patricia Rodriguez Miss Spain World 2008 bikini photo

Patricia Rodriguez is the Miss Spain 2008 winner. She will represent Spain at the Miss World 2008 contest on December 13, 2008, in Johannesburg.

Patricia was raised on the small island of Tenerife, in the Canaries. She now lives in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

Patricia Yurena Rodriguez Miss Spain World 2008

Patricia is a famous model in Spain. She speaks Spanish, English, and French. Patricia wants to continue her modeling career and establish a business in fashion.

Punters have given Patricia Rodriguez 8/1 odds to be the Miss World 2008 winner. She is the favorite to win the Miss World 2008 contest, after Miss Ukraine who has been given 6/1 odds.

Patricia Rodriguez Alonso bikini photo

Patricia enjoys volleyball, reading, traveling, listening to music, playing the guitar, and dancing.

She loves having pasta and ice creams.

Picture: Patricia Rodriguez Miss Spain 2008

Her personal motto is All that you work for today, will be for your good tomorrow.

Patricia Rodriguez won the Miss Spain 2008 contest, on March 1, 2008. The first runner-up was Claudio Moro who participated in the Miss Universe 2008 contest.

Patricia Rodriguez bikini photo

Patricia was ineligible to participate in the Miss Universe 2008 contest, because of age limitations. She is likely to represent Spain in the Miss Universe 2009 contest, though.

Miss Zaragoza Alejandra Andreu was the 2nd runner-up, who went on to the win the Miss International 2008 contest.

Age: 23
Occupation: Law student and professional model
Height: 174 cm

Tamara Almeida Silva Miss Brazil World 2008 bikini photo

Tamara Almeida Silva is the Miss Brazil 2008 winner. She will represent Brazil at the Miss World 2008 contest to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on December 13, 2008.

Tamara Almeida Silva was brought up in Ipatinga, Minas Gerais. She grew up with her parents and two sisters.

She is studying Law and is now in her 5th year, in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Tamara says she started studying Law at the age of 17. She aims to be a judge.

Tamara Almeida Silva Miss Brazil World 2008 winner

Tamara Almeida Silva has said that she enjoys outdoor sports like diving, swimming, cycling, boxing, yoga, martial arts, volleyball, and boating.

She is a good dancer and has learnt classical ballet, and jazz  for six years. She also likes flamenco dance, and listening to Bossa Nova and Jazz.

Tamara enjoys traveling, listening to music, reading, and watching movies. As part of her modeling assignments, Tamara Almeida Silva has traveled to five continents including, China, Hong Kong, Greece and Thailand.

Tamara Almeida Silva bikini photo

Tamara speaks English, Spanish and basic Chinese.

Her favorite cuisine is Japanese.

Tamara Almeida Silva beat 10 other contestants to be the Miss Brazil 2008 title winner.

In 2006, Tamara was declared Miss Ouro Preto Mundo 2006 and second runner up in Miss Brasil Mundo 2006. She was 3rd runner-up in Miss Brasil Mundo, in 2007.

Tamara Almeida

She was the second runner-up in in Miss Tourism Queen International 2007.

It was in 2008, that she won the Miss Brazil 2008 title, beating 10 other contestants, while representing the state of Minas Gerais. She speaks English, Spanish and basic Chinese.

Tamara’s motto is Don’t waste your time only dreaming, make it happen!

As part of her Beauty with a Purpose project, Tamara Almeida Silva works with an NGO called Amigos da Terra, that works for the protection of Brazilian forests. She has participated in various promotional activities for the cause.

Age: 23
Occupation: Professional model
Height: 5?9?

Tansey Coetzee Miss South Africa World 2008 bikini photo

Tansey Coetzee is the winner of the Miss South Africa 2007 contest, and will represent South Africa at the Miss World 2008 contest that will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on December 13, 2008.

Tansey Coetzee is a professional dancer, proficient in ballet, hip hop, jazz, tap, modern, and Spanish dances. Tansey has worked as a sales executive in an IT company. She aims to launch her own fashion label and event management company. She also wants to do a degree in brand management and open a modeling school and a dance school for disadvantaged children.

Tansey Coetzee Miss South Africa World 2008

She has completed her BA in Corporate Communications, at the University of Johannesburg, formerly known as the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). She has studied at the former Allen Glen High School.

Tansey Coetzee can speak both English and Afrikaans.

Before winning the Miss South Africa 2007 title, Tansey Coetzee has won other titles: Miss Tinkerbell Sandton, Miss Allen Glen High School, Miss Eastgate Face of Fashion, and Miss South Africa Unity.

Tansey Coetzee Miss World 2008 bikini photo

Tansey says that her role model is Oprah Winfrey. “She’s an inspiration to all, I admire her bravery to beat all the odds and to do great things for herself and others,” Tansey Coetzee has been quoted as saying.

Tansey enjoys cooking, outdoor activities like bungee jumping, safaris sky diving, and white river rafting. She also likes acting, singing, listening to music, and reading in her leisure time.

Her favorite foods include prawns, calamari, pasta, and curries.

Tansey Coetzee

She dislikes crime and poverty, one culture, discrimination, dieting and bad hair days as her least favourite things.

Tansey’s personal motto is: The greatest losses of all, are those from missed opportunities.

At the Miss South Africa 2007 contest, Tansey Coetzee was crowned by the outgoing Miss South Africa 2006, Megan Coleman.

The first  runner-up was Avumile Qongqo of Queenstown, and the second runner-up was Manisha Pillay of Kwa Zulu Natal.

Age: 20
Height: 178
Occupation: student

Espinoza Ang Gabriela bikini photo

Espinoza Marroquin Ana Gabriela is the Miss Mexico 2007 winner. She will represent Mexico at the Miss World 2008 contest to be held  at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on December 13, 2008.

Espinoza can speak English, Spanish and French.

Espinoza Marroquin Ana Gabriela hails from Monterrey, Nuevo leon.

Espinoza Ana Gabriela Miss Mexico World 2007 winner

Espinoza is studying International Tourism and is in her first year. Her aim is to work in a private or government organisation in the Mexico tourism sector.

Espinoza Marroquin Ana Gabriela loves Chilaquiles, salads, pizza, rice, and pancakes.

She enjoys many dance forms like ballet, jazz, and flamenco dance. Espinoza likes listening to music, reading human achievement books, watching movies, and learning new languages.

Espinoza Ana Gabriela Miss World Best Beach Wear 2008 winner

In school, Espinoza received a special award for the best average over 3 years of school, which included a scholarship for her college degree.

Her motto is Go for what you want, always enjoy the journey and love every step you take.

In the Miss World 2008 contest so far, Espinoza has won the Miss World Beach Beauty 2008, held at the beach of the Beverly Hills resort in Umhlanga Rocks. The first runner-up was Miss South Africa World 2008 Tansey Coetzee, and the second runner-up was Miss Russia World 2008, Kseniya Sukhinova. The other finalists were from Angola, India, Lebanon, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Spain and Venezuela.

Espinoza Ana Gabriela

Espinoza Marroquin Ana Gabriela beat 33 contestants to win the second place in the Nuestra Belleza Mexico 2007 contest, held in Manzanillo, Colima, on October 5, 2007, and was crowned Miss Mexico World 2008.

This win automatically launched into the semi-final of the Miss World 2008.

Miss Mexico is also one of the favorites to be the Miss World 2008 winners. Espinoza has been given 10/1 odds to be the Miss World 2008 winner.

Age: 18
Height: 176 cm
Occupation: Model and student

Photo of Irina Zhuravskaya Miss World 2008 winner: Bookies' favorite

Irina Zhuravskaya Miss Ukraine World 2008, is the winner of the Miss Ukraine 2008 contest.

Bookies are betting heavily on Irina Zhuravskaya to be crowned as the Miss World 2008 winner. The Miss World 2008 contest that will be held on December 13, 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa, was earlier scheduled to be held at Kiev, Ukraine. The event was moved to South Africa because of tensions between Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.

Irina Zhuravskaya bikini photo

Irina’s odds for being the Miss World 2008 winner was said to be 6-1.

Irina Zhuravskaya was born and brought up in Kiev, Ukraine.

Irina Zhuravskaya Miss Ukraine World 2008 Winner

Irina is studing history, psychology, arts and literature at the Kyiv Pedagogical University. She is also a successful print and film advertising model working for the KARIN MMG agency, and a TV weather forecast reporter.

Irina is also said to be part of the legendary ballet Todes by Alla Dukhova.

Irina is not new to winning competitions.

Irina Zhuravskaya bikini photo

Irina Zhuravskaya was the winner of the Miss Ukraine 2008 contest that was held on April 23, 2008 in Keiv. She beat 26 contestants, to win the $500,000-crown.

Previously, Irina has also won the title of Miss Internet, Miss Algora, and Vice-Miss Donbass Open-2007.

She was also the first runner-up in the city competition in Ukrainian grammar and composition.

Irina Zhuravskaya enjoys playing tennis, traveling, painting playing the piano, and modern dancing. She also likes photography, reading poetry and Russian classics, and listening to pop and lounge music.

Irina’s favorite movie is The Notebook.

Irina Zhuravskaya model shoot photo

Irina has said that her favourite food is cabbage soup, grilled salmon and chocolate.

Her personal motto is Step back from evil and create blessings.

During the Miss World 2008 contest, when Irina was asked that if she could travel back in time when and where would she go, Irina said that she would go to 8th century BC Sparta. She described it as the land of thinkers, beauty and sports, philosophy and literature, art and drama, the era of human courage and simplicity in life.

One answer judges especially liked was when she was asked that what would be the one thing she couldn’t do without if she were stranded on a desert island, Irina said it would be anti-mosquito cream.