Olympian and rugby player Ilona Maher showed her support for former Dancing with the Stars partner Alan Bersten as he returns for Season 34. Last season, Maher and Bersten finished as runners-up. This season, Bersten is paired with actress Elaine Hendrix.On Wednesday morning, DWTS revealed its celebrity-pro pairings on Good Morning America. Returning favorites include Alan Bersten, Britt Stewart, Daniella Karagach, Rylee Arnold, Jenna Johnson, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Ezra Sosa, among others. Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles will partner with Ezra.After the official announcement, Bersten shared the news on Instagram, writing:“It’s official!!! My partner for season 34 is the one and only @elaine4animals !!!!! I’m so excited and can’t wait for you all to go on this journey with us! Btw Meredith Blake is not the villain! #justiceformeredithblake 😂😂” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe update sent Maher into excitement, and she filled the comment section with messages of support, including:“Let me know if I need to come in to training”“You have my vote!”“So excited!”“Yuuupppp!”“How is it that time again?!?”Ilona Maher's comments on Alan Bersten's post - Source: via @alanbersten on InstagramDancing with the Stars Season 34 premieres live on Tuesday, Sept. 16, on ABC and Disney+, and will stream the following day on Hulu.The last season saw former Bachelor star Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson win the Mirrorball Trophy, while Maher and Bersten finished second, and Disney star Chandler Kinney, with partner Brandon Armstrong, placed third.Meanwhile, Ilona Maher is now competing at the Rugby World Cup 2025 after being named to the USA Women’s Eagles squad in July. She started in the opener against host nation England on August 22 at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, which drew a record crowd of over 42,000. She also featured in the thrilling 31-31 draw against Australia on August 30. Next, the USA will face Samoa in their final Pool A fixture on September 6 at York Community Stadium.Ilona Maher on struggling to make 'real money' alongside rugbyUSA v Australia - Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool A - Source: GettyIlona Maher is the most followed rugby player on Instagram and has become a vocal advocate for body positivity and women’s sports. She has partnered with major brands including Ralph Lauren, Secret Deodorant, L’Oréal Paris, and New Era.In an interview with The Guardian, Ilona Maher explained that she didn’t want people to assume her social media presence makes her less serious as an athlete. She highlighted the pressure on female athletes to do more than just perform in their sport.“I didn’t want people to think I wasn’t serious because I do social media or that social media takes away my impact on the field. As a female athlete, I would love to just focus on what I’m doing on the field, but if I want to live a comfortable life, if I want to make real money, I have to actually do more. Maybe that is a female thing; sometimes we have to do more. I wasn’t willing to give up something that could be so lucrative for me. I wanted to make sure I could do both,” she said.Ilona Maher is a two-time Olympian, making her debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where the U.S. finished sixth, before securing a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a victory over Australia.