Shawn Johnson wins 'Dancing With the Stars'

Shawn Johnson is adding a mirrorball trophy to her collection of Olympic medals.

The youngest competitor to ever be part of "Dancing with the Stars" is also its latest winner, as Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson took the trophy ball for the eighth season.

A gold medal gymnast, Johnson, 17, became the third Olympian to win the show after Apolo Ohno and Kristy Yamaguchi.

She and dance partner Mark Ballas were the only ones to score a perfect 30 in the freestyle dance of the finales Monday. All three finalists won perfect 30s for their final dances Tuesday. Johnson did a cha cha, second place finisher Gilles Marini did the Argentine tango and Melissa Rycroft, who finished third, did the samba.

"This has been the best experience ever," Johnson said after her victory. "I've grown so much."

Johnson was tied with fellow finalist Gilles Marini after Melissa Rycroft was dismissed earlier in Tuesday's show.

Show host Tom Bergeron said "less than 1 percent" separated the two finalists.

"This has been, without a doubt the best season ever," said head judge Len Goodman. "We've got the three best dancers here in the final."

Johnson had a scare in March when a 34-year-old man allegedly tried to break onto the "Dancing With the Stars" set, apparently to meet her. Police say Robert O'Ryan, who remains in custody on a stalking charge, jumped a fence at the studio lot after driving from Florida in a car loaded with guns, duct tape and love letters to Johnson. Filings by her parents said the incident caused her to fear for her safety.

But Johnson shook off the incident and used her athleticism to better effect with each passing week, looking less like a rigid, underaged gymnast and more like a powerful yet graceful dancer as she gained confidence.

Tuesday's season finale also featured a performance by Lady Gaga and the finale of the new pro-dancer competition. Anna Damidova competed with three other professional dancers for a spot on next season's "Dancing With the Stars."

And while Johnson as winner only gets the trophy and what Bergergon calls "the cheers, the love and the magazine covers that come with it,' another winner on the show Tuesday gets an actual job. Anna Demidova won a slot to be one of the professional dance partners when the show returns for its ninth season in the fall.

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