'Dancing with the Stars: Athletes' Crowns Adam Rippon as Its Season 26 Champion

Dancing with the Starshas a new champion!

After a fierce four-week cycle, theall-athletes editionof the reality dance competition crowned its season 26 winner on Monday evening’s finale.

Three athletes and their pro partners — Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson,Tonya Hardingand Sasha Farber, and Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess — went head-to-head in the final night of the season, but it was Rippon who was awarded the Mirrorball Trophy from co-hostsTom Bergeronand Erin Andrews.

And Johnson, 24, earned her first Mirrorball trophy after being a pro on just two seasons!

“The Mirrorball has now taken on a new meaning, someone like me is accepted and I feel loved,” the Olympic ice skater, 28, said before his freestyle dance.

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“This freestyle is different, corky, fun and totally embodies me as a person and I want to share that with America,” Rippon said of his freestyle, which earned him a 28 out of 30.

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Though Rippon did not receive a perfect score for his freestyle, both Harding, who danced to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and Norman, who danced to Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “Walk on Water,” garnered 30/30.

RELATED VIDEO: Adam Rippon Says He’s Feeling ‘A Little Nervous But Mostly Excited’ for the ‘DWTS: Athletes’ Finale

And for their first dances: Harding earned a score of 26/30 for her Viennese waltz while Norman got a 27/30 for his foxtrot.

Ahead of theDWTS: Athletespremiere, PEOPLE revealedphotos of the revamped set— including a new screen on the main stage that can split open and a jumbotron — as well as the new special edition version of the Mirrorball Trophy, which reads “Athletes.”

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Rippon was among 10 teams of athletes and pro dancers who went head-to-head for the trophy during the shortened four-week cycle and each returned for the glittery finale.

source: people.com