Dancing With the Stars is back baby!
But this season is much different than the last. Instead of having an athlete or two in the lineup, the entire celebrity cast is composed of athletes.
The cast ranges from former NBA stars, former and current Olympians, an All-American softball pitcher, a current football cornerback, and more!
For the last few weeks, rumors have swirled that figure skater Tonya Harding, known for her the notorious clubbing incident that occurred with Nancy Kerrigan in 1994.
Interestingly enough, Nancy was on a competitor on season 24 of Dancing With the Stars and had been paired with Artem Chigvintsev. Tonya does not have the same dancing pro as a partner, but it is interesting to her joining the cast.
Tonya came back into the spotlight after the film I, Tonya was released in 2017 and members of the cast, like Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, were nominated for Golden Globes and Academy Awards for their performances. Allison even took home both awards for playing Tonya’s mother in the film.
Here is the full line up and their partners for this season of Dancing With the Stars: Athletes:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and pro dancer Lindsay Arnold
- Mirai Nagasu and pro dancer Alan Bersten
- Josh Norman and pro dancer Sharna Burgess
- Chris Mazdzer and pro dancer Witney Carson
- Jamie Anderson and pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev
- Johnny Damon and pro dancer Emma Slater
- Jennie Finch and pro dancer Keo Motsepe
- Arike Ogunbowale and pro dancer Gleb Savchenko
- Tonya Harding and pro dancer Sasha Farber
- Adam Rippon and pro dancer Jenna Johnson
For the athletes, we have basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is still the leading point scorer in basketball, even though he retired in 1989.
There are quite a few Olympians joining the DWTS lineup. Adam Rippon is the first openly gay Olympian to bring home gold for the U.S. A fellow 2018 Olympian figure skater also joins the lineup! Mirai Nagasumade made headlines in 2018 when she became the first U.S. woman to land a triple axel.
Yet another Olympian to hit the dance floor is pro snowboarder Jamie Anderson, who took home gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The final Olympian in the celebrity cast is Chris Mazdzer, who took home silver in the men’s singles luge.
The other athletes include Notre Dame’s national championship hero Arike Ogunbowale, pro softball player Jennie Finch, retired MLB outfielder Johnny Damon, and cornerback for the Washington Redskins, Josh Norman.
The full cast list was announced in typical DWTS fashion, live on Good Morning America on ABC, with all of the pros there to show off their famous partners.
Dancing With the Stars: Athletes is a special 4-week event, unlike the typical 10-week run that normal DWTS seasons have. The first episode airs Monday, April 30, 2018, at 8 P.M. on ABC.
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To get ready for the new season, you can watch the moment the winner from last season, Jordan Fisher was crowned and given the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy.
Who do you think we will this season of DWTS: Athletes? Which celebrity casting do you find the most surprising? I can’t believe Tonya Harding is actually in the lineup!
