Kim is paired up with professional dancer Derek Hough … and they will face 12 other pairs of contestants when the next season of Dancing with the Stars hits the airwaves next month. After the jump, check out the rest of the promo pics of this seasons stars and their professional dancing partners …

Here we have Belinda Carlisle and Jonathan Roberts, Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini, Kym Johnson and David Alan Grier, Lacey Schwimmer and Stephen Glover (Steve-O), Karina Smirnoff and Steve Wozniak, Chelsie Hightower and Ty Murray:

And here we have Jewel and Dmitry Chaplin, Edyta Sliwinska and Lawrence Taylor, Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks, Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas, Nancy O’Dell and Tony Dovolani, Denise Richards and Maksim Chmerkovskiy:

Clearly, the DWTS Photoshopper is really fond of using the lens flare tool on these promo pics … which gives that cheese effect in each of the photos. Meh, when in Rome, I suppose. While I am really rooting for Lil’ Kim to win it all I am also loving that Belinda Carlisle is in competition this season … tho, I fear that they cast her as the elder contestant a la Cloris Leachman last season — OUCH! On the celeb man front, I think I’ll throw my support behind French actor Gilles Marini. I really became a big fan of his after seeing him in the Sex and the City Movie last Spring … I woudn’t mind rooting for him. Are any of y’all excited for this new season? Will you be watching the show this time around? If so, who are YOU supporting to win it all?

[Source]

Thousands of spectators cheered Olympic medalists Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Kobe Bryant on Wednesday as the city of Chicago got a high-profile boost to its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Oprah Winfrey was taping the season premiere for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” at a downtown park, and she invited 150 U.S. Olympic athletes to join her. The athletes were introduced under a shower of red, white and blue confetti. Winfrey intends the show to be both a welcome home for athletes who competed in Beijing and also a chance to showcase Chicago as the city bids for the 2016 Games, said Harpo Productions … The 23rd season premiere of Winfrey’s talk show will air Monday. Chicago is a finalist for the 2016 Games along with Tokyo; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Madrid, Spain. The International Olympic Committee will choose the 2016 host next year.

People.com has some scoop on what will transpire in next Monday’s season premiere ep:

Even face-to-face with Oprah Winfrey, Michael Phelps remains mum on the topic of his private life. But in terms of Olympic-sized revelations, Nastasia Liukin admits she gained inspiration from The Secret, while Kobe Bryant confessed to his surprise at finding he has so many fans in China … “It’s good to be back on American soil,” said Phelps, 23, grinning shyly and wearing only one of the eight gold medals he took home for swimming. Asking the most pressing question, “Are you single?,” Winfrey was told by Phelps, “I try to keep my private life private.” Bryant, joined by others on the winning men’s basketball team, said the players made a conscious effort to bring back gold and remedy what had become the sullied reputation of American players. “We made it a personal challenge. It was a priority” to take arrogance out of the game, he told Winfrey. In response to all the attention he received from adoring Chinese fans, Bryant, 30, admitted, “It caught me off guard” … Liukin, 18, cited the inspiration she received from The Secret, a self-help book popularized on Winfrey’s show. Recalling her pre-China prep, “I said, ‘I guess I should read it, Oprah read it,’ ” said the winning athlete. As for Torres – at 41, the winner of three silver medals in Beijing – the swimmer and mother of a 2-year-old said age shouldn’t limit one’s dreams. “All the mothers out there are my role models,” she said.

Oprah always does things in a big way, none of this surprises me at all. I do think it’s brilliant that she is using the fame of her show to help Chicago’s Olympic bid. I would love it if Chi-town won the the 2016 Olympics … if so, I’d make sure to attend some portion of the games, Chicago is so close to Detroit. I don’t make it a habit to watch The Oprah Winfrey Show (like my BFF Sarah does) but I’ll be watching this one. It looks too good to miss.

[Source, Source]

No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all. Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women’s gymnastics Friday in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing Games. Liukin finished with 63.325 points, a mere six-tenths ahead of Johnson, the reigning world champion who beat Liukin at the U.S. championships and Olympic trials only a few weeks ago. Yang Yilin of China won the bronze. “I don’t think it’s really set in, but I feel like this journey has been so long,” Liukin said. Made even longer by having to wait for Johnson to follow her on the floor exercise. Liukin paced back and forth while Johnson, the final competitor, completed her performance, clapping as her teammate floated high in the air. In the end, it was Liukin who soared. When Johnson’s score was posted and Liukin realized she won, tears filled her eyes. Her father and coach Valeri grabbed her in a bearhug, squeezing her tight for several minutes. Valeri Liukin was a double gold medalist for the Soviet Union 20 years ago, but came up achingly short in a rivalry with his own teammate in the all-around. There would be no such disappointment for his only child. “It’s not possible to describe how proud I am,” he said afterward. Liukin wore a smile that lit up her face as she climbed atop the medals podium and waved to the crowd. She blinked back tears as the gold medal was placed around her neck, but let them flow when the U.S. anthem began to play. “Standing on the podium and hearing `Olympic champion’ next to my name was a dream come true,” Liukin said. “Everything pays off at this very moment” … But this was no surprise. Johnson and Liukin have been the world’s two best gymnasts for two years now, and most expected the teammates would be each other’s biggest competition. Johnson came in with all the momentum, winning every matchup with Liukin but one in the last few years. It was Liukin’s grace under pressure, though, that made the difference. It had to, with everything coming down to the very last event, and the last two performers. “I gave my heart and soul out there today,” Johnson said. “Nastia deserved the gold.”

These ladies are class acts, much congrats to them both for their stellar performances. I’m sure the ladies were disappointed when they had to content themselves with the Silver Medal in the Women’s Gymnastics Team event earlier this week but they’re prolly feeling much better about themselves today. It’s amazing how much the Olympic Games can lift one’s spirits as spectators … despite having nothing whatsoever to do with the athleticism that goes on in the Olympic Games, I can’t help but feel a bit of pride at the achievements by the US Olympic athletes. It’s great that the World can, generally, come together for 2 weeks every 2 years to share this great experience. Go Team USA … we’re all rootin’ for y’all :)

[Source, Source]