Ilona Maher makes her 2024 Emmy debut in a velvet dress with sexy cut-outs

Ilona Maher's Emmy debut was spot on.

The 28-year-old Olympic rugby player walked the red carpet of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 15 in a glamorous look.

She wore a strapless midnight blue velvet peplum dress, accessorized with statement earrings, rings and bracelets. Her glamour consisted of a face-framing updo and her signature bold red lips (a no-brainer).

While she dominated the carpet in her bombshell look, Maher chatted with PEOPLE and revealed who she thinks deserves an Emmy. “Everyone on Love Island should be nominated for an Emmy with the drama and suspense they bring to the screen,” she joked.

But not content with impressing with just one look, the coming Dancing with the stars The competitor donned a purple dress with a flowing effect and sculptural bodice, which she wore when she and other Olympic athletes were brought on stage for one of the category announcements.

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Since returning from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where she led the US team to its first bronze medal, Maher has been in top form.

In August she made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut. “I've always been labeled, you know, masculine or something,” Maher told the outlet. “But I've never felt that way. But I don't think you're going to bully the girl who might probably beat you up in anger. I love that [rugby] showed me what I can do. It showed me how capable my body is and that it is not just a tool to be looked at and viewed as an object.”

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A month later, she was selected as a candidate for the 33rd season of Dancing with the starsreturns on September 17. She will compete with Alan Bersten for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Watch PEOPLE's full coverage of the 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, broadcast live from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on ABC.