"Dancing with the Stars" 2013 premiered March 18 on ABC with an all new celebrity lineup. In a March 20 Los Angeles Times interview, Olympic champion turned season 16 Mirrorball trophy hopeful Dorothy Hamill talked about why being a figure skater doesn't give her a big edge over the competition.
When presented with the claim that some "DWTS" fans consider her familiarity with learning choreography to be an "unfair advantage," Hamill, who captured the gold medal at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, explained the differences between her sport and dance. She agreed that the ability to hold on to choreography is important, but went on to note that skaters "glide" while dance requires "step" and "balance." She chalked up the differences between the two arts to simple "physics."
Technical differences aside, "DWTS" history suggests that Hamill may have an excellent shot at emerging the victor. Two other figure skaters have participated during past seasons, and both performed very well. Kristi Yamaguchi, whose performances Hamill called inspirational, won season six with pro Mark Ballas, while Evan Lysacek and pro partner Anna Trebunskaya finished season 10 in second place behind winners Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough.
If nothing else, Hamill is enjoying her tenure as a member of the reality show's cast. After calling "American Idol" alum Kellie Pickler "one of the dearest ladies I've met," Pickler tweeted a sweet message back to Hamill on March 19, writing "Our heart 2 heart talks are the things I've cherished most this season. I admire you more than you know. Xo."
Dorothy Hamill and professional partner Tristan MacManus will perform again when "Dancing with the Stars" 2013 resumes on March 25.
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