Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi won the Dancing with the Stars mirror-ball trophy last night, beating out NFL star Jason Taylor and actor Cristián de la Fuente.
"This is just the icing on the cake," Yamaguchi said about the win. "Honestly, from the bottom of my heart I want to thank all the fans out there and everyone involved...for making this a dream experience."
Yamaguchi was the first female winner in four seasons, since soap opera star Kelly Monaco won the inaugural season of Dancing with the Stars.
"This is definitely for all those women out there to continue to be strong," she said after the win.
Yamaguchi and her partner Mark Ballas were the judges' favorite, earning a perfect 90 out of 90 - a first in DWTS history - for the week.
"Obviously the fans are the deciding factor here," Yamaguchi said, "and I can't say enough to thank them."
The skater also won fans among her dancing peers.
"Kristi deserved it more than any other woman in any other season," said professional dancer Cheryl Burke, who partnered de la Fuente. "It's about time that a woman wins."
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said that Yamaguchi's athletic background helped her win, since athletes can channel criticism and turn it into results, and also noted that her personality emerged throughout the season.
"She was technically great and she was doing incredible choreography," Inaba said. "She was able to really develop her crowd-pleasing skills and that's what set her over the top."
Yamaguchi's competitors also credited her dancing. Taylor called her "just perfect," and de la Fuente said "it was impossible to beat her."
The skater said that while the win does not match her Olympic gold medal, it was 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."
