Laurie Hernandez ranked her Olympic and “Dancing with the Stars” title-winning experiences as “tied” and said she felt the same joy at each.
Hernandez went on a whirlwind round of interviews after becoming the youngest “Dancing with the Stars” winner, the second gymnast titlist and fifth Olympian to lift the Mirror Ball trophy on Tuesday night.
“The Olympics, as a little kid, it was such a big goal that I created for myself and I was able to push through and make that happen,” Hernandez said, according to USA Today. “I’ve always loved to dance and my passion was dancing as well as gymnastics, so winning the Mirror Ball today was insane and amazing,”
Hernandez flew overnight to New York, where she appeared on “Good Morning America” with partner Val Chmerkovskiy and fellow finalists James Hinchcliffe (IndyCar driver) and Calvin Johnson (retired NFL wide receiver).
Hernandez, a New Jersey native, is slated to appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday (NBC, 9 a.m.-noon across all time zones) and then join a “Dancing with the Stars” tour.
It’s not clear when Hernandez could return to gymnastics. The first serious competition is the AT&T American Cup on March 4.