Amber Glenn opened her Dancing with the Stars run with a cha-cha to Santana's "Smooth," taking the stage in front of her fellow DWTS cast members on Wednesday night.
The Olympic figure skater and partner Pasha Pashkov earned an 18 out of 30 from the judges, landing her in a tie for third place on night two of the show's season 35 premiere.
How Did Amber Glenn Do on the 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 35 Premiere?
The judging panel had mixed takeaways on the gold medal-winner's performance. Bruno Tonioli said Glenn "attacked the dance like a warrior queen" and praised her attitude. Derek Hough noted her strong body awareness but wanted to see her more grounded. Carrie Ann Inaba, meanwhile, reminded the three-time US champion that partnered dancing requires a different focus than skating solo.
Still, Glenn advanced safely through the first elimination round.
"I didn't realize it would be such a drastic difference between skating and ballroom," she said after her judging. "I'm usually on top of ice, not trying to dig into the dance floor. So I'm just going to work on that the next couple of days."
Instead, Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills were sent home after voting, while Tatyana Ali landed the lowest score with 12 out of 30 possible points. The 16-person season continues Tuesdays at 8 PM ET on ABC.
