Laurie Hernandez Teaches Her DWTS Partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy a Gymnastics Routine After Meeting the Pro

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<>Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez couldn’t contain her excitement after meeting her Dancing with the Stars pro partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy for the first time.

“This is so cool,” says Hernandez, 16, after giving Chmerkovskiy a hug in a video shared by E! News.

“Look at you, I was just watching you on TV,” Chmerkovskiy, 30, tells Hernandez as he twirls her around.

“Really?” asks Hernandez. “Yeah, killing it,” replies Chmerkovskiy.

And the Olympian – who just started rehearsing for the show last week – already has her eye on the Mirror Ball trophy.

“So we’re going to like win this thing, right?” she asks Chmerkovskiy.

“I love your ambition,” he says. “Yes, definitely.”

But Hernandez admits she probably won’t be the only one learning a few moves this season.

“There’s a lot of dances I think he can teach me – well, I know that he can teach me – and there’s a lot of flips that I can teach him,” Hernandez says to the cameras before doing a few flips for Chmerkovskiy.

She also taught Chmerkovskiy a few dance moves on the gymnast floor during their first meeting. “You got it so fast,” Hernandez compliments her pro partner. “Girl, I’ve danced before,” he quips back.

Last Tuesday, it was announced that Hernandez was joining the cast of the competition reality series’ 23rd season.

“I’m so excited! I can’t wait to do the jive,” Hernandez previously told PEOPLE of getting to dance alongside Chmerkovskiy, who placed third last season with Ginger Zee.

She continued: “Val is a mastermind and it’s so nice because he seems really patient and like me, open to new things.”

Dancing with the Stars returns Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.