The niece of former Olympic sprint champ Linford Christie was crowned the first black Miss England. Rachel Christie, 20, who is set to represent the UK in heptathlon at the 2012 Olympics, triumphed despite being injured in a car crash last Friday. She suffered whiplash and bruising and spent the night in hospital but recovered to scoop the beauty title.Rachel, from Kensington, West London, told organisers: "My ambition in life is to win gold in the 2012 Olympics. "I want to be successful in whatever I choose to do in life."
Protesters had gathered outside the event at the Metropole Hilton Hotel in Central London to denounce it as sexist. They held banners with slogans "every woman is a queen" and "beauty is not skin deep".
Rachel had been among the bookies' favourites to clinch the title, and she is the first black woman to capture the title.
