Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough win 'Dancing with the Stars 4'

Two-time Olympic gold medalist speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and professional partner Julianne Hough were crowned the champions of the ballroom during last night's live finale of ABC's Dancing with the Stars' fourth season.


Ohno and Hough defeated former N Sync singer Joey Fatone and professional partner Kym Johnson, who finished second, as well as professional boxer Laila Ali and professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy to take home Dancing with the Stars' mirror ball trophy after 10 weeks of competition.

"I feel amazing," Ohno told Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron after he revealed that Ohno and Hough had finished the finals in first place after the home viewer voting from Monday night's final performance show was combined with the judges' scoring for the dancers' Monday and Tuesday night performances. 

"I feel like from day one, I said everybody here's been champions," Ohno continued.  "Joey has taught me so much... and I feel like lessons to be learned from watching the show are amazing.  I have learned from myself when you put your mind to something, you do 100%, you give sacrifice and dedication... Anything is possible."

During Monday night's performance episode Ohno and Hough received a score of 28 from Dancing with the Stars' three judges for their rumba and a 30 for their freestyle routine, giving them a combined score of 58 and placing them ahead of Fatone and Johnson as well as Ali and Chmerkovskiy.  Fatone and Johnson received a 26 for their cha-cha and a 30 for their freestyle routine, giving them a combined score of 56, while Ali and Chmerkovskiy received a 29 for their Paso Doble and a 26 for their freestyle routine, giving them a combined score of 55. 

Newly crowned Dancing with the Stars fourth season champions Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough pose with their new mirror ball trophy. (Photo credit ABC/Carol Kaelson)

All three of the remaining couples danced one more time during last night's results show -- with their scores contributing to their final combined judges score total but not being voted on by viewers who had already voted based on Monday night's performances -- however they all received perfect 30 judges scores for their final performances, so they had no affect on the competition's ultimate outcome.

Ohno became the second straight athlete to claim the mirror ball trophy, following in the footsteps of third season Dancing with the Stars champion Emmitt Smith, a retired NFL star who had competed with two-time Dancing with the Stars professional partner champion Cheryl Burke.

"Out of all the athletes we've had in the past, Apolo has become the best technical ballroom dancer," Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba said during one of the fourth-season finale's many video montages.

The five-time Olympic medalist thanked a good portion of his success on the show to Hough, an 18-year-old professional dancer who made her Dancing with the Stars' debut during the show's fourth season.

"If Julianne didn't push me, if she didn't push the choreography and make it as hard as it is, I don't think I'd be able to make it this far... Not at all," said Ohno of his partner, as the two were said by the judges to have great chemistry throughout the season.


Ali and Chmerkovskiy were the first of Dancing with the Stars' three remaining fourth-season finalists to be eliminated from the competition during the finale.

"I had so much fun and it's been great getting to know these people.  They're great dancers," said Ali when it was revealed she and Chmerkovskiy finished third.  "I'm really happy for whoever wins tonight because everyone is great and it's all about the fans... I'm just having a good time because it's so different from what I normally do.  Max has been a great partner.  We've had our tough times but we always pull through."

With the competition down to Ohno and Hough versus Fatone and Johnson  -- who were pretty much neck-and-neck throughout the season -- it was revealed the latter came up short.

"I want to thank Kym so much.  I couldn't have done it without her," said Fatone when he learned he and Johnson finished second.  "She's been an amazing friend... a really good friend.  And you know congratulations to [Ohno and Hough]... Well deserved.  There's nothing I can say.  I feel like a winner."






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