Kristi Leskinen battles it out in the Bahamas on ABC’s new hit show “The Superstars”!
ABC ANNOUNCES THE CAST AND TEAM PAIRINGS FOR “THE SUPERSTARS,” PREMIERING TUESDAY, JUNE 23, ON ABC
Eight Athletes and Eight Celebrities Team Up to Compete for the Title of The Superstars Champion
New Alternative Series Shot Entirely on Location at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas
ABC announces the cast and team pairings of new alternative series “The Superstars,” a fresh take on an old favorite. The eight athletes are Jennifer Capriati, Brandi Chastain, Robert Horry, Jeff Kent, Kristi Leskinen, Lisa Leslie, Bode Miller and Terrell Owens. The eight celebrities are David Charvet, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Dan Cortese, Paige Hemmis, Julio Iglesias, Jr., Joanna Krupa, Ali Landry and Estella Warren. The series is based on ABC’s classic “Wide World of Sports” series of the same name, which pitted athletes from all different sports against each other to determine the best athlete in the world. “The Superstars” pairs the celebrities with the athletes to compete in varying sporting events. Participants found out who their selected partners were only when they met for the first time at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The six-episode series premieres TUESDAY, JUNE 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
The team pairings for “The Superstars” will be Terrell Owens & Joanna Krupa; Jeff Kent & Ali Landry; Robert Horry & Estella Warren: Bode Miller & Paige Hemmis; Kristi Leskinen & Maksim Chmerkovskiy; Lisa Leslie & Dan Cortese; Jennifer Capriati & David Charvet; and Brandi Chastain & Julio Iglesias, Jr.
Every week a team will be eliminated until one team is ultimately crowned the winner. Competitors’ athletic prowess and strategy will be put to the test to excel in events including swimming, biking, running and kayaking, in addition to other head-to-head athletic challenges everyone must try to conquer.
“The Superstars” past winners include football stars Herschel Walker in 1987 and Jason Sehorn in 1998, decathlete Dave Johnson in 1993 and Olympic skier Bode Miller (who makes his return this year) in 2002.
KRISTI LESKINEN — Kristi Leskinen is a well known X Games action sports athlete among the world’s top freeskiers, constantly pushing the limits of the sport. There was a lot of history made at the 2005 Winter X Games; some athletes were decorated, and others walked away bitterly sore. But in one event, Women’s Skiing Superpipe, the entire field was triumphant. It was the first year the event made its way into this marquee festival, and Leskinen was at the forefront. As a headliner, she shoulders the responsibility of women’s freeskiing in particular – which has moved out from under the shadow of more established action sports to receive the respect and exposure it deserves. At her first U.S. Open, Leskinen was the only woman doing the Big Air event and the only woman to take a run on the pipe. In 2004, little more than five years later, the U.S. Open hosted the largest women’s superpipe contest in the world, with 40 athletes vying for the championship. After 10 years of professional competition, 
Leskinen continues to dominate the podium and lives true to her motto, “Follow the fun.” Currently she is working on a new TV project which will bring out her vivacious personality and natural ability to connect with and socialize with people throughout the action sports world. This past March she hosted the first ever all-female ski and snowboard slopestyle event and rail jam at her home resort of Seven Springs in Pennsylvania.
MAKSIM CHMERKOVSKIY — Best known for his work on the hit ABC show “Dancing with the Stars,” Russian born professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy was introduced to the world of Ballroom Dance at the age of four when his parents brought him to a local dance school in Odessa, Ukraine. In addition to his dance abilities regularly showcased on the top rated television show, where he has been partnered with Tia Carrere, Willa Ford, boxing world champ Laila Ali, Spice Girl Melanie Brown, Olympic Champion Misty May-Treanor and actress Denise Richards, Chmerkovskiy is also a world renowned choreographer, having worked in association with famed director Franco Dragone revamping and updating the immensely popular performance show, Le Rêve, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. He is currently a board member for the non-profit organization DanceTeamUSA, which promotes DanceSport amongst the youth of America. He also has a production company, Maksim Chmerkovskiy Productions, which organizes performances all over the world.