entertainment
“Whitney is like Gronk, Edelman and Brady rolled into one,” former Patriots player Danny Amendola said of his pro partner.
From left: Alfonso Ribeiro, Ilona Maher, and Alan Bersten from “Dancing with the Stars.” Eric McCandless
They can play football, win Olympic medals, and these three New England celebrities can now call themselves bona fide ballroom dancers after appearing all season on Dancing with the Stars. It became.
In addition to the two Olympians who competed in Paris this summer — gymnast Steven Nederosik from Worcester and rugby sevens player Ilona Maher from Burlington — former Patriots player Danny Amendola also They were among five finalists who competed for the coveted Mirrorball trophy on Tuesday night.
The record-breaking season ended on a high note Tuesday when “The Bachelor” star Joey Graziadei was declared the winner after judges’ scores and audience votes.
See below for the New England standings.
Former Patriots player Danny Amendola
Just because the wide receiver retires from the NFL in 2022 doesn’t mean his playing days are over. This time it was a dance floor, not a soccer field.
Danny Amendola played a key role in New England’s victory over the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49. – Matt Slocum/AP
For their final appearance in the competition, Amendola and professional partner Whitney Carson performed a tango to Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, before performing a tango to Lizzo’s “Pink.” ” and channeled Barbie in her “I’m” freestyle routine. Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling.
“Whitney is like Gronk, Edelman and Brady rolled into one,” Amendola said of his pro partner.
For her first dance, she received a score of 9 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. In the second round on floor, he shot 29/30.
He placed fifth overall.
Rugby player, Olympic medalist and influencer Ilona Maher
Burlington native Ilona Maher made a name for herself as an Olympian and TikTok influencer known for her focus on empowerment and body positivity.
Ilona Maher dances “My Way” with partner Alan Bersten.
She and her partner Alan Bersten performed a jive to Ray Charles & the Blues Brothers’ “Shake a Tail Feather” and a freestyle routine to Chapel Lawn’s “Feminineominon.”
“I’ve played a lot of characters, but tonight I’m just playing me,” she said.
The jury gave her 27/30 points for her jive (a dance she previously struggled with) and 30/30 points for her freestyle.
The team that won the bronze medal advanced to the final two, but ultimately came in second place.
Olympic gymnast Steven Nedrosik, aka “Pommel Horse Man”
You may know Worcester native Steven Nedroszyk from his impressive run on Team USA, where he competed on the pommel horse this summer wearing his trademark glasses and won two bronze medals at the Olympics.
On Friday, he treated the ballroom floor like a pommel horse in an emotional performance that emphasized his love for men’s gymnastics. Nedrosik and partner Riley Arnold freestyled to Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” and quickstepped to Rembrandt’s “I’ll Be There for You.”
Steven Nedrosik and Riley Arnold perform on “Dancing with the Stars.” – Disney/Eric McCandless
“When I was competing in the Olympics, I was under a lot of pressure, and I handled it perfectly,” he said of his time in the Dancing with the Stars ballroom.
Nedrosik scored 29/30 in quickstep and 30/30 in freestyle, his and Arnold’s first perfect scores of the season. He and Arnold finished fourth overall.
Eva Levin is a general associate at Boston.com. She covers breaking news and local news from Boston and beyond.
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