Hasselbeck, Browning on ‘Thin Ice’

Olympic figure skaters including Stephane Lambiel and Katarina Witt to compete and judge in two-part special

"The View’s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck and four-time World Champion figure skater Kurt Browning co-host ABC’s live competition special "Thin Ice."

The two-part special will air live from the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Conn., from 8-9 p.m. Friday, March 19, and from 7-8 p.m. on Sunday, March 21.

Stephane Lambiel Vancouver2010The judges include Katarina Witt, two-time Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion; Kristi Yamaguchi, 1992 Olympic gold medalist and season-six winner of “Dancing With the Stars”; and Dick Button, two-time Olympic gold medalist and longtime announcer of figure skating on U.S. TV.

The judging will be based half on viewer voting, via www.abc.com, and half on the judges’ marks.

Ten competitors from four skating disciplines – ladies, men, pairs and dance – will be paired as five couples, none with their current partners. They will skate short programs, limited two minutes.

The competitors are:

— Stephane Lambiel (left), Switzerland’s World Champion, who finished fourth at the Vancouver Olympics;

— Jamie Salé of Canada, 2001 World Champion, 2002 Olympic Champion as a pairs skater, and winner of the inaugural Battle of the Blades with partner Craig Simpson

— Patrice Lauzon, five-time Canadian National Champion and two-time World silver medalist as an ice dancer

— Shizuka Arakawa, Japan, 2006 Olympic Champion

— Shae-Lynn Bourne, Canada, 2003 World Champion ice dancer

— David Pelletier, Canada, 2001 World Champion, 2002 Olympic Champion as a pairs skater

— John Zimmerman, three-time U.S. National Champion and World bronze medalist as a pairs skater

— Michael Weiss, three-time U.S. National Champion and World bronze medalist

— Elena Berezhnaya, two-time World Champion and Olympic Co-Champion

— Marie-France Dubreuil of Canada, five-time Canadian National Ice Dancing Champion and two-time World silver medalist

Bourne will be partnered with Zimmerman, Dubreuil with Weiss, Salé with Lauzon, Berezhnaya with Pelletier and Arakawa with Lambiel.

“In the Olympic Games, there are more than 300 pages of rules and regulations. In ‘Thin Ice,’ the entire judging criteria are summarized in two words — entertain us," said executive producer Terry O’Neil in a statement.

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