New Miss World Beats Flu to Win
<i> Associated Press</i>
LONDON —
The new Miss World is America’s Gina Tolleson, who was judged more beautiful than 80 other women from around the world despite a bout with influenza.
Miss Ireland, Siobhan McClafferty, 20, came in second, and Miss Venezuela, Sharon Gonzalez, 19, was third in the contest Thursday evening in the London Palladium theater.
“I felt so bad during dress rehearsals that I had to get off stage, and all I could do was pray I would be OK,” Tolleson said about her flu, which apparently was caused by London’s legendary inclement weather.
She succeeds Polish beauty Aneta Kreglicka.
The brown-eyed brunette from South Carolina is a student at the University of Georgia She will receive more than $78,400 in cash and other prizes.