'Dancing With the Stars' Final: Gay sports star becomes new champion
Adam Rippon, the famous figure skater, managed to complete the fierce four-week cycle on Dancing With The Stars: Athletes and emerge as the new champion.
Alongside his pro partner, Jenna Johnson, Rippon outperformed his competition: Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber and Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess, who went head-to-head in the final night of the dancing competition.
But winning the prestigious Mirrorball trophy wasn't just a special moment for the 28-year-old Olympic athlete; Johnson was also over the moon for coming in first place on her second season on the show, and she couldn't help but share a celebratory photo on her Instagram.
Fans and followers were able to see Johnson and Rippon next to each other holding their trophies up high while still dressed in their dancing outfits. Despite their victory, the duo faced some tough competition on the dance floor.
Their jazz performance earned them a perfect score from the judges, as well as a standing ovation from those in the crowd, but they didn't do so well on their freestyle routine, which was danced to the sound of Pitbull and DJ Kass' Scooby Doo Pa Pa.
Still, they managed to squeeze a 28 out of 30 from the judges. The other competitors did a better job on the freestyle, scoring a perfect 30 out of 30. Harding and Farber danced to I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, while Norman and Burgess danced to Thirty Seconds to Mars' Walk on Water.
Prior to the premiere of Dancing With The Stars: Athletes, the set of the show was revamped. A new screen was installed on the main stage, as well as a jumbotron. The trophy was also modified to fit the new competition, with the word 'athletes' being engraved on the piece.
Although shorter than its previous seasons, the show started with 10 teams of athletes and pro dancers, and every single one of them returned in the finale to honor the new champions.