Kristi Wins One for the 'Dancing' Ladies

By SANDY COHEN, AP
Posted: 2008-05-21 11:48:13
Filed Under: TV News, Reality TV
LOS ANGELES (May 21) - After four consecutive male winners on "Dancing With the Stars," it was finally ladies' night.

Kristi Yamaguchi was named the new "Dancing" champ on the show's season finale, becoming the first woman to win the ABC dance-off since its inaugural season. The figure skater came into the final contest Tuesday with a perfect score and bested fan favorites Jason Taylor and Cristian de la Fuente to claim the mirrorball trophy.


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"This is definitely for all those women out there to continue to be strong," she said after the show, hoisting the prize above her head.

The Olympic gold medalist was clearly the most talented dancer on this season's competition, regularly landing atop the judges' scoreboard. But viewer votes count just as much, and with the audience 75 percent female, men have had the edge. Last season ended with a shocker when race-car driver Helio Castroneves upset Spice Girl Melanie Brown.

"Obviously the fans are the deciding factor here," Yamaguchi said, "and I can't say enough to thank them."

She also had plenty of fans among her fellow competitors, who said she deserved the title.

Taylor, the massive but graceful pro football star, called Yamaguchi "just perfect," adding that he "grew up watching her compete for our country." De la Fuente, who was eliminated early in the two-hour season finale, said "it was impossible to beat her."

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6. Mario Lopez

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1. Drew Lachey

This former 98 Degrees singer was overshadowed by his more famous older brother Nick, but since his season two 'Dancing' win he's become king of all things ballroom by hosting the upcoming 'Dance War' series, traveling on the 'Dancing' tour and acting as a temporary co-host for this season's 'Dancing' competition.

His professional partner, Cheryl Burke, agreed. "Kristi deserved it more than any other woman in any other season," she said. "It's about time that a woman wins."

Yamaguchi's athletic background helped make her a winner, said judge Carrie Ann Inaba, because athletes know how to channel criticism into competition.

"She was technically great and she was doing incredible choreography," Inaba said, adding that Yamaguchi's performance personality emerged throughout the season. "She was able to really develop her crowd-pleasing skills and that's what set her over the top."

The judge acknowledged on Monday's show that men often fare better in the ballroom, saying "they have a natural tendency to be more crowd-pleasers."

"When men get on the floor and you're watching the male power, it's unbeatable," Inaba said after Tuesday's show. "It generates this sort of excitement on the dance floor that's really hard to touch."

Winning the "Dancing" crown doesn't quite compare to winning an Olympic gold medal, Yamaguchi said, but it's still "a fun, amazing experience."

"It's not just this (trophy) but what it represents," she said. "It's all the hard work and the time spent together and the friendships made, challenging yourself and learning something new."

Though Taylor and de la Fuente didn't win, each was victorious in his own way. Besides forming a close friendship with each other, Taylor, an aspiring actor, has taken meetings with Hollywood heavyweights, and de la Fuente learned an important life lesson.

The actor ruptured a tendon in his biceps while dancing on April 28, but delayed the surgery necessary to repair it so he could continue in the contest.

"It's about wanting something in life and going for it," he said. "In this case it was a dance show, but it can be anything that you're afraid of. Go for it. Do it. The reward that you get when you put your heart, your soul, everything you've got in something, it's priceless."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-20 07:12:24
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Angelface13148 07:32:50 PM May 27 2008

I DON.T THINK SO THAT SHE SHOULD

ASuiGeneris1 07:54:24 PM May 25 2008

...if they can have performers who have been choreographed in the past, like The Cheetah Girl and Marie Osmond.

...then an ice skater has just as much right to the title as anyone.

...she was an athlete, albiet a graceful one.

...but an athlete just the same, not a dancer.

Mikealysjaysmom 09:54:44 PM May 23 2008

you guys are all losers get a life

coffeerox963 05:37:22 PM May 23 2008

i knew she was gunna win its ovious she is a ice skater!

baronbrandonxii 09:14:48 PM May 22 2008

Ileia8 06:11:28 PM May 22 2008
i agree w/ you. as i said before, they are 2 diffent things.

Ileia8 06:11:28 PM May 22 2008

I always get a kick out of reading the comments that people post on these AOL news. People are so bitter and so easily set off...*sigh*

But anyway, I don't watch TV anymore. Stopped watching several years ago (mostly because I moved to a small village-town in the middle of the southern Japanese Alps where I was even lucky to get internet set up :P). But if Kristi Yamaguchi won a dancing reality TV show, good for her. I know for a fact that figure skating and professional dancing are two different things. True, in order to succeed at figure skating, you need to get good marks both technically AND artistically...and there are so many figure skaters out there that can do triple jumps like they're nothing...but artistically, can't pull their weight on the rink. I remember watching Kristi skate as a child and I thought she was an amazing skater. The fact that she was able to take that discipline that she used to learn skaing to dance is commendable. Congrats, Kristi.

baronbrandonxii 05:52:13 PM May 22 2008

no*

baronbrandonxii 05:50:35 PM May 22 2008

ok, everyone who said Kristi should not win, your all wrong. im a figure skater like her, and dancing and skating are 2 different things. Dancing is hard, ill admit, but skating is jumps, spins, and very few other things, NONE dancing. if she ice danced, that would be a totally different thing, but she doesn't. Look up ice dancing, and figure skating, there 2 separate things.

Delilama48 02:38:19 PM May 22 2008

I so totally agree with everyone who said she should not win. With her discipline in skating, dancing and performing for her was a breeze. The only thing she had to add according to the judges was her acting (dramatics). A committed viewer, I will not longer be watching "Dancing with the Stars. After these results I feel the show is bogus.

Dani121506 12:08:46 PM May 22 2008

I dont think it is fair that she won the trophy in fact I dont think that she should of competed at all she knows how to dance she dances on skates it may not be the same kind of dance but it is still dancing I say boo to your vote for Kristi

PaulRW1 11:10:26 AM May 22 2008

I figured she would win because of her precise, accurate, moves. To me, it was a given about a month ago.

cherrcoh 02:26:44 AM May 22 2008

Kristi deserved to win but yum Is he great to look at or what?

icethief 10:10:35 PM May 21 2008

Lordy the name-calling on this list. It's enough to make one **********'s amusing watching the fans of Jason and Christian slump to such a low.

All of these cries for a woman to win and when one finally does all you can say is "She's a ringer."

LOL!!!!!!

See everyone in September when it all starts again.

mitcheastmeck122 06:54:00 PM May 21 2008

SHE was the best on there , i like her

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