Serbian singer
Marija Serifovic has won the Eurovision Song Contest at a ceremony
in Helsinki which saw the UK's entry coming joint second-last
By WAVE Editorial Team
from Belgrade, SERBIA
Serifovic's powerful ballad Molitva had been second-favourite with
bookmakers in the run-up to the competition. She scored 268 points,
beating Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serdyuchka into second place. Russia
was third, with Turkey fourth and Bulgaria fifth.
Serbia took first place with its first entry as a solo state at the
Eurovision, having declared its union with Montenegro defunct last
year. The Eastern European state will now be charged with hosting
the event in 2008. Following her win, Ms Serifovic told reporters
"a new chapter has opened for Serbia". "I am so proud.
All my success is made by singing."
The competition had been embraced by people in the Finnish capital,
which earned the right to stage the event when rock group Lordi won
in 2006. Some 350 spin-off events had also been organised as part
of Eurovision "fever".
The contest - held since 1956 - had a record 42 entries
this year, but 18 were eliminated in qualifying rounds before Saturday's
final. It was broadcast to an estimated global TV audience of 100
million, with the winner selected after a poll in each country involving
telephone votes and text messages.
EUROVISION TOP FIVE
1. Serbia (268 points)
2. Ukraine (235)
3. Russia (207)
4. Turkey (163)
5. Bulgaria (157)
Eurovision
2007