Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss crowned Miss World 2014

Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss took home the Miss World 2014 crown. The 22-year-old graciously accepted the title at the Excel London ICC Auditorium on Sunday.

The competition featured 122 international beauty queens.

Strauss is the first Miss World titleholder from South Africa in 40 years. Her plans to pursue a medical career were put on hold to compete in the pageant.

She credited former South African President Nelson Mandela with the opportunity to pursue a career in medicine by creating a democratic nation.

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