Miss South Africa crowned Miss World

Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss gestures, after being crowned Miss World 2014 during the finale of the competition at the ExCel centre in London, Sunday, Dec. 14. Photo: AP

South Africa's Rolene Strauss has been named the winner of the Miss World 2014 competition in a London finale televised in many parts of the world.

Edina Kulcsar of Hungary was the runner-up and Elizabeth Safrit of the United States took third place.

The winners were announced Sunday after a lengthy competition involving contestants from more than 120 countries.

Each had won the right to represent their country in a series of local and regional competitions.

This year's contest was marred by the murder last month of Miss Honduras and her sister in that country.

The first Miss World contest was held 63 years ago in Britain.