Figure skater Amber Glenn and Para track and field athlete Ezra Frech will compete on the upcoming Dancing with the Stars season, marking the first time in the show’s history that an Olympic gold medalist and a Paralympic gold medalist will compete in the same season.
Glenn can become the fourth figure skater to win the Mirrorball trophy.
Glenn, a 26-year-old from Plano, Texas, won the last three U.S. figure skating titles and in her Olympic debut won team event gold and placed fifth individually at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
The first Dancing with the Stars episode is Sept. 15. In recent years, series have run until late November or early December for contestants who reach the final four.
Glenn has not announced how Dancing with the Stars will impact her figure skating competition schedule. A rep for Glenn said Thursday that it “will be determined as the DWTS goes on and no definite plans are in place yet.”
Glenn is currently entered in Saatva Skate America and NHK Trophy in Japan, both in November. Those are the fourth and sixth stops of the six-event Grand Prix Series regular season.
Frech, a Los Angeles native bidding for the 2028 LA Games, won T63 100m and high jump gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
He is the first Paralympian to compete on Dancing with the Stars since Alpine skier Danelle Umstead in 2018 and just the second Summer Paralympian and Paralympic gold medalist to compete after swimmer Victoria Arlen in 2017.
At least one Olympian competed in most of the Dancing with the Stars seasons dating to the series’ debut in 2005.
All of the 10 figure skaters who previously competed on Dancing with the Stars had finished their elite-level careers by the time they did the show, though some had yet to announce retirements.
The last figure skater to compete on Dancing with the Stars was 2006 and 2010 Olympian Johnny Weir in 2020.
Figure skaters to win Dancing with the Stars were Kristi Yamaguchi in 2008, Meryl Davis in 2014 and Adam Rippon in 2018.
Olympians, Paralympians on Dancing with the Stars
Season 1 — Evander Holyfield (1984, boxing)
Season 4 — Apolo Ohno (2002-2010, short track speed skating) — WINNER, Clyde Drexler (1992, basketball)
Season 5 — Floyd Mayweather Jr. (1996, boxing)
Season 6 — Kristi Yamaguchi (1992, figure skating) — WINNER, Monica Seles (1996-2000, tennis)
Season 7 — Maurice Greene (2000-2004, track and field), Misty May-Treanor (2000-2012, volleyball)
Season 8 — Shawn Johnson (2008, gymnastics) — WINNER
Season 9 — Louie Vito (2010, snowboarding), Natalie Coughlin (2004-2012, swimming)
Season 10 — Evan Lysacek (2006-2010, figure skating)
Season 12 — Sugar Ray Leonard (1976, boxing)
Season 13 — Hope Solo (2004-2016, soccer)
Season 14 — Martina Navratilova (2004, tennis)
Season 15 — Shawn Johnson, Apolo Ohno
Season 16 — Dorothy Hamill (1976, figure skating), Aly Raisman (2012-2016, gymnastics)
Season 18 — Meryl Davis (2010-2014, figure skating) — WINNER, Charlie White (2010-2014, figure skating), Amy Purdy (2014-18, Para snowboarding)
Season 19 — Lolo Jones (2008, 2012, 2014, track and field/bobsled)
Season 20 -- Nastia Liukin (2008, gymnastics)
Season 23 -- Laurie Hernandez (2016, gymnastics) -- WINNER, Ryan Lochte (2004-2016, swimming)
Season 24 -- Simone Biles (2016-2024, gymnastics), Nancy Kerrigan (1992-94, figure skating)
Season 25 -- Victoria Arlen (2012, Para swimming)
Season 26 — Jamie Anderson (2014-22, snowboarding), Jennie Finch (2004-08, softball), Chris Mazdzer (2010-22, luge), Mirai Nagasu (2010, 2018, figure skating), Tonya Harding (1992-94, figure skating), Adam Rippon (2018, figure skating) — WINNER
Season 27 -- Danelle Umstead (2010-22, Para Alpine skiing), Mary Lou Retton (1984, gymnastics)
Season 28 -- Lamar Odom (2004, basketball)
Season 29 -- Johnny Weir (2006-10, figure skating)
Season 30 -- Suni Lee (2020-24, gymnastics)
Season 33 — Dwight Howard (2008, basketball), Ilona Maher (2020-24, rugby sevens), Stephen Nedoroscik (2024, gymnastics)
Season 34 — Jordan Chiles (2020-24, gymnastics)
Season 35 — Ezra Frech (2020-2024, Para track and field), Amber Glenn (2026, figure skating)
