Bode Miller, Kristi Leskinen reach final four of 'The Superstars'

July 16, 1:56 AMSkiing ExaminerEric Wagnon

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Bode Miller and his partner Paige Hemmis finished last in the
relay run event hoping to rest for what turned out to be bowling.
  Photo:Adam Larkey/American Broadcasting Companies (ABC)

Olympic alpine skier Bode Miller and freestyle skier Kristi Leskinen both advanced during Tuesday night's episode for another week of competition in "The Superstars" on ABC. Paired with television personality Paige Hemmis, Miller avoided the elimination obstacle course with a strike in a bowling playoff against the team of actor David Charvet and basketball player Lisa Leslie.

Leskinen and her partner, professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy, turned in another strong performance and easily moved on to the next week.

Click here for Kristi Leskinen slideshow

Taped at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, the six-show series airs on Tuesday evenings. Starting with eight two-person teams, the program pairs an athlete with a celebrity for various physical challenges such as swimming, biking, running and kayaking. Each week, one athlete-celebrity team is eliminated from the overall competition.

Leskinen wins, Miller tanks relay run

In the relay run, the first competition of the fourth series episode airing on Tuesday, Leskinen and Chmerkovskiy won for their fourth event victory on the show, the best of any team. Hoping to rest for the show's second event, Miller and Hemmis purposely turned in a lackluster performance and finished last among the five remaining teams.

Kristi Leskinen and her partner, professional dancer Maksim
Chmerkovskiy, finished second in the bowling event.
  Photo:Adam Larkey/American Broadcasting Companies (ABC)

Skiers bowl over competition

Miller and Hemmis' strategy appeared to backfire when a physically undemanding bowling competition turned out to be the second event. After finishing fourth in the bowling event, Miller did redeem himself in a playoff to avoid being one of the two teams forced to compete in the elimination obstacle course.

Leskinen and Chmerkovskiy finished second to soccer player Brandi Chastain and singer Julio Iglesias Jr. By winning their third individual event in the series, Chastain and Iglesias appear to be Leskinen and Chmerkovskiy's stiffest competition. Prior to bowling, Leskinen joked on the show that small ski towns do not tend to have many bowling alleys.

Terrell Owens withdraws

Following several lineup shuffles due to injuries earlier in the series, Terrell Owens forced another change by withdrawing in order to go back for off-season practice with the Buffalo Bills.

Jeff Kent and Ali Landry were allowed back on the show, but the pair was eliminated for the second straight week.

Four teams remain in the competition: Miller and Hemmis, Leskinen and Chmerkovskiy, Leslie and Charvet, and Chastain and Iglesias Jr. The next episode airs on Tuesday, July 21 at 8 p.m. EDT.

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