Olympic Champion Shawn Johnson Joins "Dancing With The Stars"

Lindsay Live | Feb 18, 2009 | 1

Shawn Johnson at the "Frosted Pink With a Twist" event (women's cancer benefit) held in San Diego on September 14th, 2008; Photo by Jamie Lantzy

Seventeen year old Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson hopes to win big on "Dancing With The Stars" this season. It may seem like an easy contest in comparison to the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, but the gymnast faces a few significant challenges.

First, she is the youngest competitor to appear on the ABC hit show, but Johnson isn't too concerned. She says that as a gymnast she is used to practicing long hours.

The second challenge she faces is a vertical one - she's only 4 feet 10 inches tall. Initially, she thought she was too short to compete, so when the producers contacted her she was ecstatic. They paired her with Mark Ballas, who won season six with Kristi Yamaguchi, also an Olympic gold medalist. According to Entertainment Tonight, Ballas had to ask the ice skater to wear three-inch heels. Johnson says she's used to going barefoot, so wearing heels will certainly be a change of pace.

But the most difficult challenge may lie in the choreography. Her first dance on the show is the smooth an elegant Viennese Waltz. As a gymnast, Johnson is used to doing sharp, powerful moves. "Ballroom dancing and gymnastics are completely different sports," she told Thea Andrews from Entertainment Tonight.

Think Johnson will prevail on the dance floor the way she does on the balance beam? Catch her ballroom debut on the premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" on Monday, March 9 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Broadway, Ballroom, Teacher, Enthusiast, Parent, Retailer, Studio, Competitions & Conventions, Performance, Summer Study, Dancing With The Stars, Pop Culture, Reality TV, Shawn Johnson (all tags)