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How Olympian Adam Rippon won 'Dancing with the Stars' beating Tonya Harding, Josh Norman

From the start, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon was clearly going to win the special all-athletes DWTS.

From opening night just three weeks ago, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon clearly was going to win the special all-athletes edition of Dancing with the Stars. On Monday, it became official.

Rippon, the first openly gay Winter Olympian and Twitter sparring partner with Vice President Mike Pence, stayed around the top of the leader board each week and took home the mirrorball trophy. The win, though, did not come without a few anxious moments at the end. His final freestyle, which he admitted was "quirky," did not go over well with the judges. But he maintained an overall lead in points and apparently was helped by viewer votes (which are not disclosed).

Washington Redskins defensive back Josh Norman was second in judges' points Monday and controversial figure skater Tonya Harding third.

Here’s how Rippon did it, how Norman showed he is a true entertainer and how Harding’s redemption tour ended.

Rippon: As judge Bruno Tonioli said last week after Rippon and partner Jenna Johnson did a contemporary dance, “It’s impossible to tell who is the professional.” That is what separated him from the other nine athletes who began this truncated season on April 30. He was relaxed, in control, clearly having fun.

He came in with some notoriety from having taken on Pence before and during the Winter Olympics. That made him polarizing, but not enough to counteract how engaging and entertaining he can be.

Our expert, Shauna Fuhs, pom coach at Gaithersburg (Md.) High said: “Adam was in a league of his own every week of this competition. Of course being a highly trained figure skater gives him an advantage, but it's his authenticity, refusal to blend in and the fearless attack he has given each routine that has taken him to the top. Jenna and Adam have the most chemistry of all of the pairs, and he is able to match Jenna's fiery energy. ... and these two were made for each other.“

Norman: He started strong three weeks ago, showing a lot of energy as you would expect from an NFL defensive back. He was having fun, even laughing at himself for dancing so often with his shirt off, saying he doesn’t have his shirt off this much in the locker room.

Fuhs: “You have to do more than just come out and know the steps of your routines to make the final. There were a lot of performances this season that were good but bland. You have to stand out and make the judges and audience feel something. He grabbed our attention in Week 1 looking like the fun guy you'd want to dance with at a party. Josh solidified his spot in the final with his beautiful Week 3 contemporary routine. He has shown versatility and has attacked each week's challenge with the strong work ethic we have come to expect from NFL contestants on the show. “

Harding: In retrospect, it shouldn’t be surprising she made the final. Was she as good as Mirai Nagasu? No, but Nagasu, Rippon’s teammate in Pyeongchang two months ago, seemed to turn off viewers, and, besides, three figure skaters were not going to make the final. The judges fawned over Harding, buying into the redemption tour which started with the movie about her life I, Tonya. The show promoted her as a "legend."

No mention was made of former DWTS contestant Nancy Kerrigan, who was attacked by Harding’s crew prior to the 1994 Olympics. And it was unsettling when Harding gushed about how she felt “with America pulling for me.”

She danced well enough, particularly her freestyle Monday, for which she was awarded a perfect 30. She's an athlete. She's talented.

Said Fuhs: “How Tonya made it this far is a trending topic up for much debate. Tonya has relished her time back in the spotlight since the release of the movie. She has been working hard each week on the show to make sure she can ride this second chance as far as it will go. She has undeniably given a strong effort each week. ... She has done a good job with emotionally connecting to the routines and showing personality while dancing.”

Tonioli called her a “disco diva” and told her she danced as if “a weight had been lifted” from her. Seems you can come to DWTS for a cleansing.

The show was full of firsts this spring. A shortened season, stars from the same world. In some ways it seemed gimmicky. In others, it was too short. If the producers are smart, they will bring back Rippon and Norman for an entire season.

As for Harding, give her credit for doing as well as she did. It is hard to believe America is really pulling for her, though. And while she showed fortitude, it seems easy to say "Bye, Tonya."

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