By Juergen Ruf, dpa
Rust, Germany (dpa) - Olga Hoffmann, a doctor's assistant from the western German city of Muenster, was crowned the new Miss Germany this weekend.
The 23-year-old beat 23 others to win the title at a late-night event on Saturday in the Europa Park venue in the town of Rust near Freiburg in the south-west of the country.
"I would like to represent Germany with charm and beauty, with pride and honour," Hoffmann said after her victory.
Hoffmann will have to take a sabbatical from her career in the doctor's surgery in order to carry out her duties. "My colleagues know about that and share my happiness," she said.
Hoffmann, who comes from Ukraine and has been living in Germany with her family since 2001, has German citizenship. She has long blond hair and blue eyes.
Apart from the crown, the new Miss Germany also won a car, jewelry, clothes and holidays in Cuba, Brazil and on the German North Sea island of Borkum.
Second place went to the 21-year-old student Julia Kraml from Bad Abbach near the Bavarian city of Regensburg, while third place went to the 25-year-old student Lisa Wargulski from Wildau near Berlin.
The competition featured 24 finalists aged between 17 and 28 years old who were judged by a jury that included a politician, a former football manager, a plastic surgeon, a boxer and television celebrities. There was an evening dress round and a bathing suit one.
Miss Germany has been running since 1927, which the organizers say makes it the oldest and most important beauty competition in Germany. Some 5,115 women took part in 155 selection rounds ahead of Saturday's final.
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