Former ‘Dancing’ champ Kristi Yamaguchi sizes up the finalists
By Chuck Barney
Contra Costa Times
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She high-stepped her way to the Season 6 crown of “Dancing With the Stars” with the show’s highest scores ever. So who better to call upon to size up this year’s finalists than Kristi Yamaguchi?
But don’t expect a final prediction from the Olympic figure-skating champ. She insists it’s simply too close to call.
“I literally have no idea who’s going to win,” says Yamaguchi. “It’s one of the tightest races they’ve ever had and they’re all so good. I’m just glad I’m not competing this season.”
Here’s her scouting reports on the final three couples:
YOUTH IS SERVED: “From the get-go, she has shown amazing potential,” Yamaguchi says of Johnson, who, at 17, is the show’s youngest-ever contestant. “She took the competition seriously and really wanted to learn. She has steadily improved week-to-week.”
THE SHELL GAME: The judges have repeatedly urged Johnson to “come out of her shell.” Yamaguchi, a fellow Olympian, heard similar advice when she was on the show. “Both of our sports are very technically oriented. You have to keep your emotions in check to have control over the performance,” she says. “But now it’s all about putting on a show. You have to give yourself to the audience. That’s a huge step — to leave yourself emotionally vulnerable.”
SEX AND SIZZLE: “Through the entire season he has been intriguing,” Yamaguchi says of the Frenchman who earned a perfect score of 60 for his two dances last week. “He has a flair about him — and a sex appeal. ... His Argentine tango was incredible. It was like watching a professional team. He has amazing chemistry with Cheryl.”
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Yamaguchi admires the competitive fire in Marini, but also wants him to chill out just a bit. “It’s obvious that he really, really wants to win,” she says. “You don’t want to get too stressed out, though. The show is almost over. You want to relax and have good memories of those final days.”
ON THE REBOUND: “She’s an amazing all-around dancer,” Yamaguchi says of the woman who, after getting jilted on “The Bachelor,” was a late addition to the show. “She can be elegant in the waltz, and she can really move and shake it for the Latin dances. She was able to break out of that ballerina label thrust upon her ... and the way she overcame a (fractured) rib injury showed her toughness and desire.”
STRUTTING HER STUFF: If Yamaguchi has any advice for Rycroft, it’s to “let loose” just a little more. “I’d like to see her free up her posture a bit — free up everything,” she says. “Maybe not think so technically.”
Looking back over the season as a whole, Yamaguchi says she isn’t surprised that it was riddled with injuries.
“It’s extremely tough on you,” she says. “You’re pushing your body to learn something it’s never done before and you’re doing it in a very intense situation. When I did the show, I literally lived on Advil for 10 weeks.”
