Double Elimination! 'DWTS: Athletes' Sends Home Two Contestants on Season 26 Premiere

Dancing with the Stars: Athletes airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC

Dancing with the Stars: Athletes double elimination!

On Monday, the reality dance competition said goodbye to not one, but two contestants on the all-athletes season 26 premiere.

At the wrap of the two-hour premiere, co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews announced that three couples were in jeopardy of being sent home: Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber, Johnny Damon and Emma Slater, and Jamie Anderson and Artem Chigvintsev.

After mounting anticipation from viewers, it was announced that Harding — she tied with Mirai Nagasu for the second highest scores of the night (each earned 23/30 for their dances) — was safe from elimination and Damon and Anderson had been eliminated in the ballroom, which was revamped this season with a new screen on the main stage and a glittering jumbotron hanging above the ballroom floor.

EMMA SLATER, JOHNNY DAMON
Craig Sjodin/ABC

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Retired professional baseball outfielder Damon, 44, received an 18/30 for his foxtrot with Slater while Olympic snowboarder Anderson, 27, earned a 19/30 for her Viennese Waltz.

JAMIE ANDERSON, ARTEM CHIGVINTSEV
Craig Sjodin/ABC

For the Athletes edition of the series, 10 current or former athletes are competing throughout a special four-week cycle, during which they will compete for the coveted Mirrorball trophy.

Dancing with the Stars: Athletes airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.

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