HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Kristi Yamaguchi has returned the dancing crown to the ladies.
The champion figure skater captured the "Dancing With the Stars" title Tuesday night, outlasting pro football player Jason Taylor, who finished second.
With the victory, Yamaguchi became the first female champion since the ABC reality show's inaugural season.
"This is definitely for all those women out there to continue to be strong," Yamaguchi said after her victory, according to The Associated Press.
"Obviously the fans are the deciding factor here," she added, "and I can't say enough to thank them."
Yamaguchi and her partner, Mark Ballas, received a perfect score of 30 for their final competitive dance, which was the jive. They also got a perfect score of 60 on Monday's show.
The duo established themselves early on as the team to beat in season six, regularly topping the judges' scoreboard.
Taylor, a star defensive player for the NFL's Miami Dolphins, said Yamaguchi deserved to win, and his partner, Cheryl Burke, agreed.
"Kristi deserved it more than any other woman in any other season," she told AP. "It's about time that a woman wins."
The 1992 Olympic figure-skating champion joined actress Kelly Monaco, who walked away with the show's first title in 2005.
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