(ABC NEWS) - Emmitt Smith and Apolo Ohno, who both won their respective seasons of "Dancing With the Stars," were voted off "Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars" Tuesday night - just one week shy of the finals.
Ohno's results were announced at the show's halfway mark, and the ballroom audience reacted with a mix of boos and applause.
Ohno, an Olympic speed skater, took the mirror ball trophy in season 4. After he learned he wasn't going to the finals, he called his pro dancer partner Karina Smirnoff "a champion," and said the show was amazing.
"Every single person who does this show is a champion because it forces you to become a champion in your own right. It forces you to become more confident, stronger and it's been a blessing. Every single week the fans have been so amazing," he added.
NFL legend Emmitt Smith, the show's season 3 champion, smiled when he learned he was falling short of the finals.
"You know, it's been a tremendous experience. It's been a great ride," he said, adding that his pro partner, Cheryl Burke, has pushed him "to another level."
"Season three was something else, but this right here takes it over the top," he added.
Following Monday night's semifinal performances , Smith and soap opera star Kelly Monaco were tied for last place on the leaderboard.
Ohno, who got a perfect score for one of his two performances on Monday, ended up in third place on the score board. Olympian Shawn Johnson and TV personality Melissa Rycroft were the top scorers.
Elimination is based on a combination of judges' scores plus audience votes. Smith and Ohno had the two lowest overall totals after the audience votes and judges' scores were combined.
Rycroft, Johnson and Monaco will return next week to battle it out for the all-stars championship.
British pop band The Wanted performed two of their big hits, and singer/dancer Paula Abdul sang and danced a mash-up of four of her number one hits.
Dancer Parris Goebel earned a standing ovation for her performance.
This is the 15th season of ABC's reality dance competition, and the first featuring a cast of performers who appeared on previous seasons of the show.
