lifestyle MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2014 Features

Contestants parade during the grand final of the Miss World 2014 pageant at the ExCel London ICC Auditorium in London yesterday.—AFP photos Miss South Africa crowned Miss World

Miss World 2013 Megan Young (top) crowns Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss (bottom) as Miss World 2014 during the grand final of the Miss World 2014 pageant at the ExCel London ICC Auditorium in London yesterday.

Miss France Flora Coquerel Miss Philippines Valerie Weigmann iss South Africa, 22-year-old Rolene Strauss, was crowned Miss World 2014 at the pageant’s final in London yester- Mday, with an estimated billion viewers watching on televi- sion around the globe. Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was the run- ner-up and Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third in the 64th annual competition, contested by women from 121 countries. Strauss clasped her hands together in surprise and was presented with the sash by the outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines. The medical student sat in the winner’s throne as the 2013 champion put the glittering crown on her head before a fireworks finale at the ExCeL exhibition centre in east London. “South Africa Miss Turkey Amine Gulse this is for you,” Strauss said afterwards. “I think I will brace myself for what’s about to happen. It’s a huge responsibility.”—AFP

Miss Serbia Milica Vuklis (center) parades between Miss Vietnam Loan Nguyen Thi and Miss Montenegro Natasa Novakovic. Miss Sri Lanka Chulakshi Miss South Sudan Awien Kuanyin

(From left) Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss, Miss Kenya Idah Nguma and Miss Mexico Daniela Alvarez Reyes congratulate Miss Sweden Olivia Miss Japan Hikaru Kawai and Miss South Korea Song Hwa- Asplund on winning the swimwear fashion section. Miss Brazil Julia Gama reacts after being announced as a quarter-finalist. young