Dancing With The Stars fans are by now excited to see that some of their favorite Pros are returning for season 26. This includes Alan remaining a Pro and Jenna returning to the ballroom! The Season 26 cast has been set and they are already in rehearsals for the big premiere, but we have been watching Dancing With The Stars for long enough to know who probably has what it takes to win the mirror ball. 

Over the years we have seen countless athletes crush it on the ballroom floor and we have noticed some trends. So, we have decided to rank these athletes and their partners by how far we think they will make it in the competition based on their athletic backgrounds. 

Season 26’s couples are Adam Rippon with Jenna Johnson, Arike Ogunbowale with Gleb Savchenko, Chris Mazdzer with Witney Carson, Jamie Anderson with Artem Chigvintsev, Jennie Finch Daigle with Keo Motsepe, Johnny Damon with Emma Slater, Josh Norman with Sharna Burgess, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Lindsay Arnold, Mirai Nagasu with Alan Bersten, and Tonya Harding with Sasha Farber. 

Here is what we think! 

1. Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson

Adam Rippon has a real chance to get that mirror ball. He has just come back from the Winter Olympics and is a bronze medalist in figure skating. This means he is quick on his feet and has flexibility and rhythm. He is also able to learn and remember choreography and change up his style week to week. As far as we are concerned, he checks a lot of the Dancing With The Stars checks. 

2. Mirai Nagasu and Alan Bersten

Mirai is a an American figure skater that just competed at the winter Olympics. In fact, she is the first female American to land a triple axel at the Olympic games. Like Adam, Mirai is quick to learn and on her feet. She is flexible, has rhythm and can remember a routine. We think she has what it takes to make it to the finals. 

3. Josh Norman and Sharna Burgess

Josh Norman is a pro football player for the Washington Redskins. Now if we know anything about football players, they fair pretty well in the ballroom. We also know Sharna does well with football players in the ballroom. So this combination is just a match made in heaven. Football players are agile and able to move quickly. We can see Josh making it to the semi-finals! 

4. Jamie Anderson and Artem Chigvintsev 

Jamie Anderson is a two time gold medal Olympian in snowboarding. Snowboarding into the ballroom may be an advantage for this competitor. Her ability to maintain and shift balance may play as a strength when learning choreography. Also, with a seasoned partner like Artem, this may give her yet another advantage. 

5. Arike Ogunbowale and Gleb Savchenko

The middle of this pack gets a little tricky. Arike is a Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Player. Her resent shot to fame was just that, a shot that she took at the buzzer at the NCAA Tournament. Being a basketball player, Arike has to be quick on her feet and this could come in handy in the ballroom. We just don’t know how much musicality she has or if she will have enough star power to win the hearts of voters. 

6. Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber

Tonya Harding is a famous retired American figure skater and later entered the world of boxing. Although she is in her late forties, we feel that she will be in the middle of the pack. Her training and background in figure skating is just too strong, that it probably has not left her. We are interested to see how this one plays out! 

7. Jennie Finch Diagle and Keo Motsepe

Jennie Finch Diagle is a retired Softball pitcher. She made her way through the 2008 summer Olympics and returned with a silver medal. She has since retired from the sport and if focusing on her family. Since she has been out of the game for a while, it has us wondering if she can make a come back on the dance floor. Being a pitcher requires taking direction and focusing on hand and feet placement. These are some of the things our judges look for on the dance floor. 

8. Chris Mazdzer and Witney Carson

Chris Mazdzer is an American Luger and has competed in three Olympic Winter Games. Mazdzer received a silver medal this year’s Olympics in Men’s Single Luge. Chris has definitely has drive and dedication, as he has fought his way through three Olympics, but his luge abilities do not cross over into the ballroom. What Chris does have going for him, is that he is young, and handsome, which America likes to watch. 

9. Johnny Damon and Emma Slater

Johnny Damon is a retired MLB player. When he played, he was an outfielder which means he was probably quick. But, we aren’t sure if he has rhythm or how his abilities will fair in the ballroom. For these reasons we have him placed toward the bottom of the leader board. 

10. Kareem Abdul- Jabbar and Lindsay Arnold

Kareem Abdul- Jabbar is a retired professional basketball player. Due to his age and his height, he has landed in 10th for our ranking purposes. We just don’t think he will be able to move the same way as the other contestants and his tall body might play against him when he needs to be in hold. 

Now that we have our contestants ranked, I guess we will just have to wait until Monday, April 30th at 8 p.m EST to see what happens. What are your thoughts?  Let us know below!