natalie coughlin and mark dacascos on dancing with the stars

Just in case you hadn't heard (and I know, you're dying for this info)... This week, ABC announced the "stars" they've lined up for the upcoming season of the hit dance competition show Dancing with the Stars: 'Dancing With the Stars': Who's Who & Who Will Win?

Among the new crop of dancers, noteworthy contestants include U.S. Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin and Iron Chef America "Chairman" Mark Dacascos. Here's what Television Without Pity thought about their chances:

Natalie Coughlin
Why You Know Her: She's a U.S. Olympic swimmer who won six medals last year.
How She'll Do: Olympians tend to excel at this show (Apolo Anton Ohno, Kristy Yamaguchi, and Shawn Johnson have all won), so she's in good company.

Mark Dacascos
Why You Know Him: He's "The Chairman" on "Iron Chef America."
How He'll Do: He's got a strong background in martial arts and has the intensity required for the Paso Doble, but we're not sure how that will translate to all the other dances.

It's true that former Olympians have all done quite well on the show, but does this swimmer have what it takes to impress the judges -- and America?

Mark Dacascos strikes me as a guy who doesn't half-ass this kind of thing. Have you ever seen him on Iron Chef America? His schtick is ridiculous, but the dude commits. Perhaps that'll translate over into ballroom dancing.