It's going to be a showdown of Olympic proportions on the 200th episode of Dancing with the Stars, as Season 6 champ Kristi Yamaguchi and Season 4 winner Apolo Anton Ohno lead the top 6 pairs in a group dance face-off. "It's going to be fun and intense!" Yamaguchi, who won with Mark Ballas, tells TVGuide.com. "It's just an honor to be asked back for such a big celebration. I think a lot of us have incredible, positive, fun memories of our experience on the show, and to be able to play such a great part in such a big episode — I couldn't ask for more." So what's the former figure skater's plan of attack to take down her fellow Olympic gold medalist's team?
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TVGuide.com: How'd you pick your team? I'm assuming you chose Mark.
Yamaguchi: Yes! We alternated with picks. Apolo won ...
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Is Dancing with the Stars' Mirrorball trophy more prestigious than an Olympic gold medal? "It's hard to say. Olympic gold has been my goal for my whole life," newly crowned Olympic champion Evan Lysacek tells TVGuide.com. "But the Mirrorball is very prestigious. I first came into this saying, 'I just want to have fun. I really want to learn to dance because I think it can help my skating.' But as I started rehearsing and the competitive fire is going, I want to win." History is on the figure skater's side: Fellow Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson, Apolo Anton Ohno and Kristi Yamaguchi have all won Dancing. Lysacek thinks he has his work cut out for him. "I'm not graceful at all, so it's going to be hard, but I'm ready to put in the time," he says. See what else he has to say about his Dancing experience so far, why he thought his partner would resent him and more.
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It's been 18 years since she won the figure skating singles title in Albertville, but Kristi Yamaguchi says it still feels like yesterday — for the most part. "There are definitely snapshots that are still vivid, but it's slowly starting to seem a little more distant now," she tells TVGuide.com. "I remember skating off the ice, being backstage with my coach, Christy Ness, and the anticipation of waiting for the scores, and then the proud moment of being announced Olympic champion and stepping on the podium." The 38-year-old Dancing with the Stars champion will watch someone else be crowned Olympic champion from the NBC booth in Vancouver, where she is working as a special correspondent for the Today show. Get her take on the U.S. figure skating team's chances of taking home gold, what sport she's most excited to see and which Olympian should go Dancing next.
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Now that Dancing with the Stars has crowned a new queen and king, the question becomes: How do Kristi and Mark rank among previous winners? Does their landslide victory earn them greater regard, or does it speak to a lack of formidable competition?As a refresher, all those who have laid claim to the mirrored-ball trophy:Season 1: Kelly Monaco and Alec MazoSeason 2: Drew Lachey and Cheryl BurkeSeason 3: Emmitt Smith and Cheryl BurkeSeason 4: Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne HoughSeason 5: Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough Season 6: Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark BallasWho is your all-time favorite? Who truly showed growth and a never-tapped-into aptitude for ballroom dancing, then groomed it to flourish? Cast your vote here! And elaborate on your vote in comments.
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How's this for a good time: Try sitting in the audience for the Dancing with the Stars finale next to designer Rami Kashou, runner-up on this season's Project Runway. "Love that," says Kashou, catching sight of redheaded pro Anna Trebunskaya as she arrives on stage to dance with Steve Guttenberg in a dazzling, fire-engine red gown. "That color is great for her." There is a note-worthy connection between the two hit reality shows: Kit Pistol, another recent Runway contestant, is the stylist for Dancing cohost Samantha Harris. That means for the last ten weeks, Pistol has been scouring Los Angeles to find roughly one hundred gowns for Harris to try on, twenty of which made the final cut. Tonight, however, as Harris stands with host Tom Bergeron, Kashou is underwhelmed. "It's a little too stiff," he says of the pale lilac gown. "And the color needs to be a little stronger."A fashion show, a dance show and a championship, all rolled into one. And Kristi Yamaguchi taking the cro...
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