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Olympic Gold Medalist Meryl Davis Weighs In on Maks Chmerkovskiy’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Drama

Olympic gold medals, Mirrorball trophies and more! What’s next for ice dancing duo Charlie White and Meryl Davis? Watch the video to find out, plus see the pair weigh in on their experience on Dancing With the Stars.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Meryl Davis and Charlie White

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Soon after the power duo brought home gold medals from the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, they traded in their skates for dancing shoes for season 18 of Dancing With the Stars. The pair only share fond memories of their time on the show, specifically with Davis’ partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy: “It was great. He and I had a wonderful time. I felt like I learned a lot. For the first time, Charlie and I got to experience this challenge that had a lot of similarities to [our] sport and figure skating and what we knew. It was different enough that we felt like we could really open up ourselves to new possibilities.”

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Meryl Davis attend The 10th Annual Skating With The Stars Benefit Gala at 583 Park Avenue in New York City.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Meryl Davis attend The 10th Annual Skating With The Stars Benefit Gala at 583 Park Avenue in New York City. Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images

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Chmerkovskiy and Davis survived the Argentine tango, freestyle and more difficult routines and ended up taking home the Mirrorball trophy that season. When asked if she had any tension with the Ukrainian pro dancer, given the recent news that he and partner Vanessa Lachey were butting heads, she admitted, “In a sport like figure skating, you definitely learn that addressing issues and facing things and challenges together isn’t always a bad thing. Having pressure in high stress situations just comes with the territory.”

 

She goes on to say that due to the competitive nature of her sport, she adapted to the show easily. “Approaching Dancing with the Stars may have been a little bit easier for us because [it’s] working with a partner, and really understanding how to work together for that goal that you both have in common and you both want.”

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Though the pair won’t be headed to the Winter Olympics in 2018, they aren’t hanging up their skates just yet. The Olympic Gold medalists recently opened up the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink for it’s 81st holiday season. Davis said, “It’s such an iconic place here in the city. We’re so used to skating indoors, in arenas. Any time we get to skate outside in a place with such a beautiful atmosphere … it makes us love this sport even more.”

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