Miss Spain is crowned Miss World

Spanish model Mireia Lalaguna Royo was crowned Miss World 2015 after beating out 113 contestants from across the globe in China's Sanya on Saturday night.

The 23-year-old pharmacy student from Barcelona is the first to claim the international beauty pageant title for Spain, the Associated Press reports.

Following her victory, Lalaguna plans to pursue a master's degree in nutrition.

"Without the love I have received from all of the people I have met here, and from all of the people wishing me well and supporting me at home, I would never have gotten to this point," said the beauty queen, according to a statement released by the event's organizers.

"I want to show them and the world that I am deserving of the Miss World title and I hope to do everyone proud."

The pageant's fifth place went to Miss Jamaica, fourth to Miss Lebanon, third to Miss Indonesia, second place was awarded to Miss Russia.

However, the ceremony was not without controversy. Officials in Hong Kong last month stopped Miss Canada, Chinese-born Anastasia Lin, from boarding a plane bound for Sanya, telling her she would not receive a visa.

The 25-year old actress claimed the decision was due to her stance on China's human rights record, including its persecution of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual group of which she is a practitioner.

Lin's photo was also not included on the Miss World 2015 contestant's page:

According to the Associated Press, Beijing nor the UK-based Miss World Organization have commented on the controversy.