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Competing on Dancing with the Stars is a rite of passage for many Olympic athletes.
So far, 23 Olympians — from gymnasts and figure skaters to swimmers and snowboarders — have traded the arena for the ballroom on Dancing with the Stars. While they’re used to high-pressure performances and tough judges, tackling a tango on live TV is a whole different ballgame.
“I don’t think anything will ever compare to the work I put into the Olympics. But I have to say, probably Dancing with the Stars [was harder],” Suni Lee — the gold medal-winning gymnast who competed on season 30 — told PEOPLE in December 2021. “I didn’t expect it to go that way, and when I had to go into the gym every single day — or go into rehearsals, I was like — ‘Why is nothing clicking?’ So it was definitely harder that way.”
Lee’s former U.S. women’s gymnastics teammate Jordan Chiles is the latest Olympian to join Dancing with the Stars. She is currently competing on season 34 alongside pro dancer Ezra Sosa.
Here’s everything to know about all of the Olympic athletes who’ve appeared on Dancing with the Stars — and see how they fared.
Suni Lee
Maarten de Boer/ABC via Getty
During season 30 of Dancing with the Stars, Lee used her gymnast agility to perform many dance routines with partner Sasha Farber — making it to the semi-finals and placing in fifth. Though she didn’t get to the finale, Lee was more than pleased with her experience.
“I feel like I finally found myself, and I’m more confident in myself,” she told reporters after being eliminated in November 2021. “And I feel like I’m more open now, and that was the main goal to come on this show. Obviously, winning was there, but I feel like I love myself more than ever and that is a really important thing.”
Johnny Weir
Eric McCandless via Getty Images
Decorated skater Johnny Weir fell just short of the top in season 29, coming in sixth place with partner Britt Stewart.
Mary Lou Retton
Craig Sjodin/ABC
In season 28, beloved gymnast and five-time Olympic medalist Mary Lou Retton — who was paired with Farber — was the fifth to go.
“I hadn’t challenged myself in decades,” Retton said as she was let go. “I challenged myself and I’m off to a fresh start.”
Jamie Anderson
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Two-time Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Jamie Anderson traded her board for dancing shoes to partner with Artem Chigvintsev for season 26, which was made up of all athletes.
She was, however, the first to go home.
Tonya Harding
Craig Sjodin/ABC
One of the most controversial names in Olympic history, Tonya Harding competed with Farber on the show’s all-athletes season — and came in third.
Mirai Nagasu
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Mirai Nagasu said that she almost saw her free skate performance at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics as an “audition for Dancing with the Stars.”
It worked: she joined season 26 with partner Alan Bersten and came in fourth.
Adam Rippon
Craig Sjodin/ABC
After winning over America with his epic one-liners and graceful skates, Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon tackled the dance floor alongside partner Jenna Johnson.
Ultimately, he took home the coveted Mirrorball Trophy on the all-athlete 26th season.
Chris Mazdzer
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Chris Mazdzer — who brought the United States its first-ever medal in men’s singles luge in the 2018 PyeongChang Games — danced with Witney Carson in the all-athletes season and was eliminated in the third week.
Nancy Kerrigan
ABC/Craig Sjodin
In 2017, two-time Olympic medalist and figure skater Nancy Kerrigan partnered up with Chigvintsev, making it to the seventh week of the competition show’s 24th season.
Simone Biles
ABC/Craig Sjodin
Partnered with Farber, Simone Biles — who later became the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history in 2024 — consistently posted high scores throughout all of season 24 and was predicted to win the final prize.
So when she was eliminated in fourth place, the audience was absolutely shocked — especially because the team had received two perfect scores that very evening.
Laurie Hernandez
Craig Sjodin
In season 23, it was always going to be Laurie Hernandez. Fresh off her stint at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was America’s sweetheart, and the judges’ sweetheart, too, scoring perfect 10s an astounding eight times.
Competing at 16 years old, Hernandez became the youngest winner in Dancing with the Stars history.
Nastia Liukin
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Partnered with Derek Hough for the show’s 20th season, 2008 all-around Olympic champion gymnast Nastia Liukin had consistently high scores throughout the season.
She was eliminated in the show’s ninth week, coming in fourth place — despite receiving the night’s highest scores.
Meryl Davis
Craig Sjodin/ABC/Getty
Meryl Davis was the front-runner on the show’s 18th season from the get-go. Her dances with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy never scored less than an 8, and from the semifinals on, they scored straight perfect 10s.
She won her season and still holds the highest celebrity average of all time.
Charlie White
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Davis’ ice dancing partner kicked off his season 18 strong, scoring straight 9s and never dipping below a rare 7.
However, he and partner Sharna Burgess came in fifth place after being eliminated in shocking style one week ahead of the finale.
Hope Solo
ABC/CRAIG SJODIN
Before her controversies, soccer goalie Hope Solo participated in the show’s 13th season. She and Chmerkovskiy came in fourth place.
Evan Lysacek
Craig Sjodin/ABC
The men’s singles gold medal-winning figure skater was paired with Anna Trebunskaya on the 10th season of Dancing with the Stars.
He danced to the near-top of the competition: He made it to the finals and eventually came in second place.
Natalie Coughlin
ABC/CRAIG SJODIN
Three-time gold medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin was paired with Alec Mazo on Dancing with the Stars’ ninth season, on which she was a solid, middle-of-the-pack competitor.
She was the sixth contestant eliminated.
Shawn Johnson
ABC/CRAIG SJODIN
If there was an Olympian-only season of Dancing with the Stars, chances are, Shawn Johnson would take home the Mirrorball. Partnered with Mark Ballas, she won the show’s eighth season in 2009 at 17 and was the youngest winner before Laurie Hernandez’s 2016 victory.
In 2012, Johnson came back for the all-star season 15, this time partnered with Hough. Even up against a group of champions, she was a standout, coming in second place.
Misty May-Treanor
Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty
Misty May-Treanor was a contestant on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars and partnered with Chmerkovskiy.
Though the three-time gold medalist in beach volleyball posted relatively high scores throughout her four weeks of competition, she ruptured her Achilles tendon and was forced to withdraw.
Kristi Yamaguchi
ABC/BOB D’AMICO
The 1992 women’s singles figure skating gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi was a force to be reckoned with in the ballroom in season 6. From the first week, Yamaguchi and Ballas were scoring straight 9s — while her competitors couldn’t even get one. In the show’s final week, all three of her dances scored straight 10s.
She took home the Mirrorball after defeating the runner-up, retired NFL player Jason Taylor.
Apolo Anton Ohno
Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty
Speed skater and eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno has participated in two seasons of Dancing with the Stars. The first was season 4, where he and partner Julianne Hough won — becoming the first-ever Olympian to receive the Mirrorball Trophy.
The second was all-star season 15, on which he was a powerhouse contestant with partner Karina Smirnoff. However, he didn’t fare quite as well that time around, coming in fifth place.
Stephen Nedoroscik
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik — also known as “pommel horse guy” — competed on season 33 of Dancing with the Stars alongside his partner, Rylee Arnold. The couple were a fan favorite and finished fourth overall.
Jordan Chiles
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Chiles and Sosa are currently competing for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars.
During week 6, the pair earned their first 10s of the season after performing a Rumba to the Wicked song “For Good.”
