'Dancing With The Stars' Predictions: Which 'Athletes' Pairs Will Be Eliminated Week 1?
Fans won't be able to get acquainted with the various dancing talents exhibited by the "Dancing With the Stars: Athletes" cast for long before being forced to say goodbye to not one, but two, teams as they face a double elimination at the end of the first night of competition.
With the competition running only four weeks on ABC this time around, the 10 teams competing will be under more pressure than ever to not only wow the judges with their technically flawless routines, but also the viewers at home with how well they can entertain. While the competition usually avoids eliminations on the first week, this time around, it is necessary for not only one team to say goodbye, but two, in order for the finals to only have four teams remaining in the end. This will require double eliminations during each of the first three weeks of competition—meaning that two teams will hang up their dancing shoes before the season premiere comes to a close.
While some of the competing teams already seem to have big advantages going into the competition which could easily see them make it through the first night, others may not be quite as lucky, and three, in particular, seem most at risk of potential early elimination.
NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and reigning champion Lindsay Arnold seem like a sure bet to be eliminated earlier in the season. Not only is the former basketball player 71-years-old and by far the oldest competitor this season, which puts him at a potential disadvantage when it comes to some of the younger competitors in terms of his movement, he and Lindsay have another huge hurdle in their way. Though they've chosen to make light of their staggering difference in height by choosing to call themselves Team Tall And Small, the fact that Arnold stands at 5'6" and Abdul-Jabbar stands at 7'2" gives them a huge setback that the other teams won't have to face when it comes to things like being able to truly connect during the dance.
However, there could be a saving grace for the pair that at least gets them to Week 2. Abdul-Jabbar is a well-liked and respected man, and having a good reputation ahead of the competition is critical in this competition. One team that has to overcome the hurdle of a bad reputation is Team Axellent, a.k.a. Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber.
While Harding was doubt considered ABC's big "get" for the season, and she has experience as an ice skater, she hasn't quite shaken the reputation she earned after her ex and her manager arranged for an attack on her prime rival Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. Though she has potentially repaired some of that reputation with her side of the story being reflected on in the hit movie "I, Tonya," there has been extensive backlash over her being cast, something Farber defended in a lengthy post on Instagram after the announcement was made. If fans refuse to vote for her on principle, no matter how well she performs, then she will be out of the competition on the first night.
One other team which faces a potential disadvantage is Team MirrorBallers—Arike Ogunbowale and Gleb Savchenko. The Notre Dame star has had a packed schedule since her impressive performance during the Final Four, which helped her team clinch the title of National Champs. Though hectic schedules are nothing new and not necessarily a disadvantage for competitors, who have had a variety of other commitments that take away from their practice time over the years. However, Ogunbowale is also perhaps the most out of her natural element of the athletes competing. If she hasn't had a lot of time to devote to practice, it could prove to be her downfall.
"Dancing With the Stars: Athletes" premieres Monday, April 30 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.