Miss United States, Alexandria Mills, won the Miss World crown for 2010 on Saturday, defeating more than 100 other hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in southern China.

The blonde Mills, 18, wept as outgoing Miss World Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar placed the tiara on her head and led her to a diamond-shaped throne, in honour of the pageant's 60th anniversary.

Botswana's Emma Wareus was second, and Venezuela's Adriana Vasini placed third in the competition, held in the Chinese resort town of Sanya on Hainan island.