Dancing with the Stars: Athletes: Week 2 power rankings

The front-runners

3. Tonya Harding and Sasha Farber: 33 (8, 9, 8, 8)

There was a dancer in a bear costume, but Tonya definitely deserved a “hell yeah” for that quickstep, to quote “Redneck Woman.” It was fast, and it was so full of energy. She said she knew the counts — and it showed with how well she nailed that dance.

“I liked the routine,” Len said. “This dance made me feel good.” Bruno, meanwhile, also said she held the timing down, and just asked her to work on her neck again. She snagged the second 9 of the season, and she did it in a green dress with camo trim. Keep an eye on her, because she moved up a spot from last week.

2. Adam Rippon and Jenna Johnson: 37 (9, 9, 9, 10)

He had some sharp, clean footwork that was extra apparent in tonight’s individual dance, and, naturally, Adam brought a lot of flair to his quickstep. It was even faster than Tonya’s “Redneck Woman,” and it’s hard not to say that the quickstep was the most competitive category of the night.

“This is hard for you,” Carrie Ann said, pointing out his difficulty in turns. Len, like yours truly, praised the “clarity of movement.” And Bruno did bring out the 10 paddle.

Performatively speaking, comparing Mirai and Adam is practically impossible based on their individual dances because they’re so different. But that’s where the team dances come in, since they danced together. And when it comes to that, then we think, even with Adam wearing an Afro wig, Mirai and Alan outshone them just a bit. Still, he’s in second once more and clearly in contention for the trophy.

1. Mirai Nagasu and Alan Bersten: 37 (9, 10, 9, 9)

As much as we think Mirai turned out a great cha cha last week, this foxtrot blew the cha cha out of the water — and not just because she had the full-on Disney princess look. It was sweet, fluid and a joy to watch. I didn’t even notice the music. When Carrie Ann prompted the audience for a reaction, they came out with a big cheer for her.

“That, for me, best dance so far,” Len said. Carrie Ann said, “That was what I thought you were capable of.” Suffice it to say that all four judges were pleased with her, and she snagged the first 10 of the season.

Ultimately, she gets the nod over Adam based on that disco team dance (and getting the 10 first); she really did well on her individual section and the women’s section.

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Who’s your top competitor after week 2?