Kristi Yamaguchi News

Just a few hours prior to the Dancing with the Stars finale, Kristi Yamaguchi sat down with TV Guide. Here are highlights from the interview:

TV Guide.com: You've been a favorite from the start, and it's been a while since a woman has won Dancing with the Stars. Are you feeling any extra pressure?
Kristi Yamaguchi: No, I'm not looking at it as extra pressure. I think there's been pressure throughout the competition. I'm really proud and thankful for the fans who have voted us all the way through. At this point, I just want to dance my heart out and do all I can and hopefully have a good time.

TV Guide.com: You'll be going up Cheryl and Edyta. One of them is the two-time champion and the other is a show veteran.  What tricks are you and Mark planning to pull out for your freestyle?
Kristi: We've definitely got tricks up our sleeve. We've been working really hard and I think we've got some good surprises in store.

TV Guide.com: What's the best advice Mark Ballas has given you?
Yamaguchi: The best thing he's done is just prepare me for every Monday. We work really hard â€" we spend six to eight hours in the studio a day. Were adding on hours now because this week we have three dances to get ready. It's really non-stop. He has been good at knowing how to push me and how far to push me.

Kristi Yamaguchi has always enjoyed major fan support in the Dancing with the Stars crowd: mom Carol and Kristi's sister take up a pair of front-row seats every week.

Now, though, the Dancing favorite is adding to her posse. Yamaguchi's hockey star husband Bret Hedican will be attending the performances, now that his Carolina Hurricanes season is over.

"It feels great," Kristi said, "because it's kind of been lonely here."

Of course, this means Hedicanget a closer view of his wife's ever steamier dance routines with partner Mark Ballas.

"He understands," the gold medalist said, adding that it's just like her performances with figure skaters Scott Hamilton or Kurt Browning. "But notice that he's here, and sitting in the front row."