London: Miss South Africa, 22-year-old Rolene Strauss, was crowned Miss World 2014 at the contest’s glitzy final in London on Sunday, with an estimated billion viewers watching on television around the globe.
Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was judged the runner-up and Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third in the 64th annual competition, contested by women from 121 countries. South Africa this is for you,” Strauss said. “I think I will brace myself for what’s about to happen. It’s a huge responsibility.”
“I am what I am today because of the opportunities I have received and I would love to give others the same opportunities; educating, the opportunity to be educated, to make healthy choices and also to live their dreams,” Strauss said.And she was already getting used to the glittering crown.
“I’ll definitely keep it on as long as I can but my parents are staying around here so they’ll be hugging me and I’m afraid that it might fall off,” she said. This year’s event has been rocked by the murder of Miss Honduras, 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado, who was shot dead along with her sister last month.
“We hope that it will really start to impress on the people in Honduras that the violence, and hurting people like those two innocent women… maybe they can think again before they take a gun,” Miss World chairwoman Julia Morley said AFP.
Miss Malaysia won the talent competition in a live sing-off with Miss Scotland.In the Beauty with a Purpose section — the heart of Miss World — contestants present a charitable project they have been working on in their homeland.
They were joined by Miss Thailand, who won the people’s choice award, voted for by people around the world through a mobile phone app. The judges chose Miss Hungary, Miss Australia, Miss South Africa, Miss United States and Miss England as their top five before picking their top three.
Miss World began in 1951, a year before its chief rival Miss Universe.Strauss is the third South African Miss World, the country having held the title in 1958 and 1974. Venezuela tops the all-time leader board with six titles, ahead of India and the United Kingdom on five titles each.
Bureau Report
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