Ilona Maher bumps her chest into the Dancing With The Stars pro and celebrates hilariously after her debut dance

ABC's “Dancing With the Stars” returned for its two-hour premiere Tuesday night, and one of the most iconic moments was a celebratory chest bump.

The 28-year-old Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher was one of the new participants this season. The 1.78 meter tall athlete was paired with DWTS professional Alan Bersten this season.

As their first dance of the season, they performed Cha-Cha together and achieved a score of 18.

Each judge – Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli – gave them a 6 for their first dance, which led to a celebration.

The dancers were so excited about their results that they performed a now iconic chest thrust that quickly became a trend on social media.

The dancers were so excited by their results that they performed a now iconic chest thrust that quickly became a trend on social media

Maher was part of the American rugby team that won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and she was also the cover model for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue.

During the Games, her commitment to body positivity made her a social media darling, and now she's taking her talents to the ballroom to try and win the Mirrorball Trophy.

During her pre-dance introductory package, Maher said, “I'm used to running as fast as I can and punching someone in the face with my outstretched arm. While that helped me win my Olympic medal, I don't usually let my wild competitive side come out because it's like a chained bear inside of me.”

She added, “But I feel like Dancing With the Stars might have triggered that,” before she met her partner Alan Bersten.

“I've always loved having coaches who are strict with me. And he seems to be just the right person for that,” she said in the confessional.

When Alan asked her why she wanted to be on the show, the 200-pound Maher said, “Well, I'm a very tall, muscular woman, but I also feel so beautiful and feminine.”

She added: “I mean, you know, I grew up in not very pleasant circumstances, so now I want to make it easier for young girls to love their bodies.”

Alan said in his confession that Ilona “needs to show sensitivity instead of just going full force” as they showed footage of their rehearsal.

She added: “But I feel like Dancing With the Stars might trigger that,” before she met her partner Alan Bersten

Alan said in his confession that Ilona “needs to show sensitivity instead of just hitting with full force” as they showed footage of their rehearsal.

Each judge – Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli – gave them a 6 for their first dance, which led to a celebration

All three judges were pretty impressed. Inaba said to Ilona: “I love everything you do. And the way you walked onto the dance floor, I know you were nervous. I know you were nervous. You were a little bit hasty on the first move, but just like in rugby, you just let it flow, right?”

Hough said: “First of all, Ilona, ​​I'm happy to see you in this arena. It suits you well, my love. Really. Really. I know you from the outside, so to speak, you are so charismatic, you are funny, you have so much energy, I wanted to see that a little bit more in the dancing.”

He added: “I could sense the nervousness and shyness a little bit, but you come from a sport that's about impact, right? You can make an impact in dancing too. Go out there with the confidence, with all the self-belief that you have, and that's what we want to see on the dance floor. But really great performance for a first dance.”

Tonioli added: “Yes, my darling, they are absolutely right. As a cha-cha-cha, it was very right. But I tell you, go one step further. You are great, you are beautiful, let it all out and show them. Don't be afraid! Never be afraid!”