An Olympic gold medallist is setting her sights on a new kind of gold—on the dance floor.
Tabby Stoecker, 25, who clinched gold in skeleton racing at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, is aiming to make history on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing by becoming the first contestant to earn a perfect score for a rumba.
She has been partnered with Canadian professional dancer Mark Karmalita, who is making his debut on the show this series.
Tabby Stoecker wants to make history on Strictly Come Dancing
Ms Stoecker said: "We (Stoecker and Karmalita) found out that no one in Strictly history has ever got a 40 for a rumba.
"That’s what I heard in the grapevine.
"That might be wrong, but I think it’s true and I feel like we should go for it.
"This is his first year.
"It’s my first time doing anything like this.
"We might as well go big."
The rumba has long been considered one of the most technically demanding Latin dances on the show.
Several contestants have come close to the full 40 marks, including actress Kara Tointon and her partner Artem Chigvintsev in 2010, and TV presenter AJ Odudu with Kai Widdrington in 2021, both of whom scored 39 points.
Ms Stoecker is channelling the same drive that propelled her to Olympic success into her Strictly training.
She said: "I’m taking that Olympic discipline and determination into the dancing.
"(Karmalita’s) got his hands full because I’m definitely a kind of person who wants to practice really hard, and I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I’m gonna give it my all."
The athlete has a background in acrobatics and flying trapeze from her childhood.
She said: "I love adrenaline-fueled things, so get me up in the air, get me in a hoop or something.
"That would be really cool.
"I think the acrobatics, not that I’ve done it in over 10 years, but it will be cool again to see if I have any tricks still up my sleeve."
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on Saturday at 6.15pm.
Who are you hoping will lift the glitterball trophy at the end of the series? Let us know in the comments.
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