Spanish beauty Mireia Lalaguna Royo crowned Miss World.

Finest of them all ... Mireia Lalaguna Rozo (C) of Spain is crowned by former Miss World Jolene Strauss after winning the new title at the Miss World Grand Final in Sanya, next to Miss Russia, Sofia Nikitchuk (L) and Miss World Indonesia, Maria Harfanti (R). Picture: AFP

SPAIN’S Mireia Lalaguna Royo has been named the winner of the Miss World 2015 competition in the southern Chinese island resort of Sanya.

The win followed a lengthy competition dogged by controversy over China’s refusal to allow Canada’s entrant to attend.

Sofia Nikitchuk of Russia was the runner-up and Indonesia’s Maria Harfanti took third place in Saturday night’s final.Australia’s entrant, Tess Alexander, finished in the top 10. Not present was Miss Canada, Chinese-born Anastasia Lin, who had been prevented from boarding her connecting flight to Sanya from Hong Kong last month after China refused her a visa on arrival.

Lin is an outspoken critic of Chinese religious policy and a follower of the Falun Gong meditation practice, which was outlawed by China in 1999.

The first Miss World contest was held 64 years ago in Britain.

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  Winner ... Mireia Lalaguna Rozo of Spain. Picture: AFP
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  Third ... Miss World Indonesia, Maria Harfanti. Picture: AFP
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  Second ... Mireia Lalaguna Rozo (C) of Spain. Picture: AFP
• Fairest of them all ... Miss World Mireia Lalaguna Royo from Spain, centre, Sofia Nikitchuk from Russia, left, the runner-up, and Maria Harfanti from Indonesia, right, the second runner-up. Picture: AP