Oct 20 2009
No Olympian “Dancing” Champ This Season
Natalie Coughlin and Alec Mazo failed to win over viewer support this week on Dancing With the Stars, ending up with the lowest tally after combining judges scores and viewer votes. (picture courtesy of ABC-TV/Adam Larkey)
Three Olympic gold medalists previously walked away with the coveted mirrorball trophy on Dancing With the Stars- though this season’s hopeful will not join those lofty ranks.
On Tuesday night’s results show, Olympic gold medal swimmer Natalie Coughlin became the sixth celebrity contestant to exit the ABC dancing competition this season. Coughlin’s partner Alec Mazo has not had an impressive outing since he and Kelly Monaco won the series’ inaugural season back in 2005. Since then, he tanked with supermodels Paulina Porizkova and Josie Maran in seasons four and five (the first couple eliminated in both seasons), and suffered an earlier-than-deserved seventh season ejection with Toni Braxton.
Once again evading jeopardy this week were Michael Irvin and partner Anna Demidova, who scored both their highest judges score of the season and the week’s lowest marks among all contestants. Also surviving another week- inexplicably- are Louie Vito and Chelsie Hightower (she’s dandy, but he’s pretty much a dud). Other couples who faced elimination were Aaron Carter/Karina Smirnoff, Melissa Joan Hart/Mark Ballas and Joanna Krupa/Derek Hough.
This season’s professional dancers staged a tribute to Michael Jackson, incorporating “I Want You Back,” “Man in the Mirror” and ‘Thriller.” La Toya Jackson, along with brother Jermaine and mom Katherine, were in attendance.
Next week, contestants dance either the Jitterbug or Waltz, and take part in a Mambo marathon. If Melissa and Mark want the chance to approach the 28 they scored last week, they stand a better chance with the Jitterbug. However, their Jive from a few weeks back did not exactly wow the judges. But after their breakthrough Charleston, Hart may feel more at ease with more up-tempo numbers.
Whichever dance Irvin and Vito tackle, odds are that they again will find themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard. If nothing else, at least they’re exhibiting consistency, unlike some of this season’s other hopefuls.
