Many sports figures have reigned victorious on Dancing With the Stars over the years — think Meryl Davis, Emmitt Smith, and Apolo Ohno — so it makes total sense that ABC is devoting a whole season to just athletes! Season 26 of the reality competition, dubbed Dancing With the Stars: Athletes, will feature 10 sporty types hitting the parquet floor for their shot at the Mirrorball Trophy.

When does DWTS 2018 start?

The time has finally arrived! Dancing With the Stars: Athletes is set to premiere tonight, Monday, April 30, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

'dancing with the stars' cast getty images

Who is on Dancing With the Stars this season?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnny Damon, Adam Rippon, Jennie Finch, and Tonya Harding are the top five cast members to watch out for this season! Kareem, 71, is the show’s oldest competitor and a retired NBA champ. Johnny, 44, is a former MLB star who has two World Series rings to his name. Adam, 28, became the first openly gay US male athlete to win a Winter Olympics medal when he took bronze in the team event in Pyeongchang this past January. Jennie, 37, is a pitcher who helped the American softball team take Olympic gold in 2004 in Athens and silver in 2008 in Beijing. And Tonya, 47, is a former figure skater notorious for the Nancy Kerrigan scandal dramatized in the recent film I, Tonya.

“Each week these athletes will leave their comfort zones and endure hours of grueling rehearsals to master new dance styles and technical choreography to perform a dance,” ABC previously said in a statement about the new season. And as always, ballroom experts Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli will be the ballroom judges, while Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews act as hosts.

How long will Dancing With the Stars be this season?

The only downside? Season 26 will be the shortest DWTS competition yet, lasting just four weeks. The field of contestants will be winnowed down with double eliminations each week, and the winner will be crowned in the Monday, May 21 finale. But ABC also called Season 26 “the most competitive season ever,” and we don’t doubt it!