Homegrown Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek traded in his skates for some ballroom dancing shoes last night for the premiere of "Dancing With the Stars" and landed in silver medal position.
Lysacek’s got off to a good start with judges who are already touting him as a favorite to win the season.
Out of a possible 30 points the gold medalist scored 23 points for his Viennese waltz – putting him in second place.
Nicole Scherzinger, frontwoman for the Pussycat Dolls, took the top spot with 25 points for her interpretation of the dance.
While Lysacek wowed the judges, some entertainment critics weren’t that generous with their assessment.
“Lysacek, for all his grace and aplomb on the ice, danced a routine that was precise but hollow," writes Megan Angelo from the Wall Street Journal. "He looked plastic and nervous."
But at least he scored at the top.
Among those who didn’t impress the judges was former reality star Kate Gosselin - of “Jon and Kate Plus Eight” - who only got 16 points for her Waltz and Buzz Aldrin, the 80-year-old moon man, who cha-cha'd his way to a measly 14 points.
The question going forward for Chicago fans: will the Naperville favorite stay on top? Can Lysacek translate gold medal Olympic winning moves, to the dance floor?
Lysacek and the rest of the cast will try again March 29th, and one unlucky dancer will go home March 30th.
