DWTS, Season 23
Crowns Its Newest
Mirror Ball Champions!!
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| DWTS Season 23 Champions, Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy! |
Dancing with the Stars
has crowned its newest, Season 23, Mirror Ball Champions, Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy!!
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| DWTS Season 23 Champions, Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy! |
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| DWTS Season 23 Champions, Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy! |
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| DWTS Season 23 Champions, Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy! |
A much more than gratifying and exciting outcome for the
Show, to say the least, this most recent addition to the Glitter Dome's long
and distinctive list of Mirror Ball Champs can be said to have come with little
surprise, despite the fact that this latest installment of ABC’s highly popular, biannual Dance Program certainly had MORE
than its fair share of possible Trophy Winners!
The Vault to Success!
Front-Runners from the start, the Olympic Gold Medal-winning
Gymnast, Laurie, and her Pro
Partner, Val, kicked off this
Fall’s Ballroom Competition with a BANG, tying as one of only two to take Week
01’s Highest Score in Judges' Points!
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 01
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Only gaining momentum from there, the Weeks flew by – as did the
amazing Dances! – while each and every new Performance by what soon became Season
23’s Dynamite Duo effectively lit up the Ballroom, thrilling both Audiences and
the DWTS Judges alike!
Taking home the very first Perfect Score of all “10”s in
Judges Points for Week 04 of the Show, Laurie
& Val then continued on to cap off this, their fantastic dancing
venture, with the highest Judges Score Average of the Season!
American Sweetie!
Quickly and aptly dubbed by the Show as being America’s
Sweetheart, Laurie’s bubbly personality, unaffected charms, and infectious smile – both on AND off the Studio’s Dance Floor – having been consistently combined
with a fierce competitiveness and laser-like focus and attention to detail, made
for a potent – and even KILLER – Combo, as patrons of the Reality Show couldn’t help but get caught up in Hernandez’s American drive and need to succeed!
History is Made!
At only 16 years of age, Laurie proudly takes home DWTS' glittering and hard-earned Mirror
Ball Trophy as The Youngest Winner in the History of the Show, beating
out fellow Olympic Gold Medal-winning Gymnast and DWTS Darling, Shawn
Johnson, who took home the Trophy at age 17 for Season 08 of the Show,
along with her Pro, Mark Ballas.
Keeping It ALL in the
Family!
As a current Member of U.S.A.’s Olympic Gold Medalists Team,
“The Final Five” – America’s consistent and
highly successful elite grouping of Female Gymnasts (Also previously dubbed as
being “The Fab Five” and “The Fierce Five”) – Laurie’s
recent victory within the Ballroom has irrefutably proven that it really DOES
take one to know one, as her dethroning of S08's Shawn Johnson presents several,
striking similarities!
- Shawn is also a Member of the U.S. Fab, Fierce and Final “Five” (now Retired), taking home Gold and Silver for this Country during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- Previous to Laurie's incredible Win on Monday Night, Shawn has long held the proud distinction of reigning as DWTS' youngest Champion, winning the Mirror Ball at age 17. (Season 21’s Bindi Irwin also won at age 17, along with her Pro, 6-time Mirror Ball Winner, Derek Hough, but just missed beating out Shawn’s Record by a mere 3 Days, according to DWTS, S21 Wikipedia.) An even further coincidence – both Shawn AND Laurie’s Pro Dancers, Mark Ballas and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, have now Won Twice, with both Second Wins having occurred with each of the Gymnasts, respectively.
- Capping off their list of amazing distinctions, Laurie Hernandez and Shawn Johnson mark the ONLY Olympic Gymnasts to have ultimately triumphed within the Glitter Dome. Coming out with a bang and finishing with a bang (as was aptly phrased by DWTS Judge, Julianne Hough, during the last episode of the Season), Laurie’s TERRIFIC and history-making time in the Ballroom is not likely to be soon forgotten by the Show and its viewers. Her explosive run cemented her as a true success, as she has now OFFICIALLY taken her place among the Glitter Dome’s Greats!
A Look Back.
Taking a brief yet invigorating “Dance” through this last
Season, we are once again reminded of what made DWTS' newest Champion so deserving and brilliant!
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 01
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 02
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 03
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 04
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 05
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 06
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 07
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 08
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 09
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 10
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Laurie & Val
DWTS Season 23, Week 11
- The Finals
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Laurie & Val Freestyle
- The Finals |
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Laurie & Val 24hr Fusion
DWTS Season 23, Week 11
- The Finals
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“I’m just so excited that I was able to have this opportunity and even be on the Show,”
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The Young Mirror Ball Champion has expressed of her emotions
to ET, following her Win.
“ ’Cause, I feel like I really sprouted as a person, and I’ve surrounded myself with so many amazing people that I can now call Family!”
When asked just where Laurie might be keeping her newest
Trophy – having already both a Gold and a Silver Medal within this year’s
Summer Olympics – the grinning Teen, whose long ago stated goal from the get-go
had been to qualify and compete within the 2016 Olympics, and immediately
follow it up by joining the next Cast of DWTS
(A Television Show dearly beloved by herself and her Family), enthusiastically
shared,
“… Probably, like, in the middle of my house!”Adds Hernandez, as an endearing afterthought,“As long as my Mom's okay with it!”
Watch video (below) to see the new Champions of Dancing With The Stars, Laurie & Val receive the much sought after and hard earned Mirror Ball Trophy! Courtesy of Dancing With The Stars' great YouTube channel!
