Figure skater Amber Glenn, a three-time U.S. champion, entered the women’s individual competition as a favorite to medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“It would mean everything,” Glenn told ESPN of becoming the first American woman to reach the podium since Sasha Cohen in 2006. “I had a bit of a shot at it in ’22, but I just was not prepared. I didn’t have the accomplishments under my belt and I didn’t have the confidence.”
“And since then, it couldn’t be more different. Now I have accomplished so much in the last four years, both personally and on the ice, and I have a great group of people surrounding me, both back at home and just on Team USA overall.”
The 26-year-old won her first gold medal during the figure skating team event. After a week of rest, she looked more than prepared to crush her short program to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
GettyAmber Glenn is comforted by her coach in the Kiss and Cry zone after her short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Glenn landed her triple axel and skated well until the final jump, when she did a double instead of the required triple toe loop.
By failing to complete three rotations, she received zero points for the jump. Glenn knew the repercussions of the missed requirement before she even skated off the ice. The Plano, Texas native immediately broke down in tears and appeared inconsolable while her score of 67.39 was announced.
Amber Glenn Revealed She’s on Her Menstrual Cycle After Her ‘Extra Emotional’ Reaction
Not that Glenn needed to explain her emotional reaction, the figure skater revealed it’s that time of the month.
GettyU.S. figure skater Amber Glenn is emotional following her short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
She shared a post on her Instagram Stories on February 18 that read, “Menstrual cycles can influence women’s performance in nuanced ways, affecting energy levels, concentration, mood, and physical comfort at different phases of the cycle.
“Symptoms like cramps, fatigue, headaches, or hormonal shifts may temporarily reduce focus or endurance, while other phases can support strength and mental clarity. Importantly, the impact varies widely between individuals and even month to month, and many women perform at a high level throughout their cycle. Yet, we never stop competing.”
Glenn added a message of her own at the end, “Can also make you extra emotional during his stress situations…” with a salute-face emoji.
Amber Glenn Is ‘Coping’ Ahead of Her Final Free Skate at the Olympics
Glenn took a lengthy break from ice skating and checked into a mental health facility in 2015. She’s done a lot of work off the ice to get to where she is now. While it’s devastating to see her drop to 13th place after the short program, Glenn is handling the situation with grace and humor.
She posted a video on TikTok of herself celebrating and wrote, “Landing my highest scoring 3Axel.” She then starts punching air, and the text reads, “Messing up the last jump and getting it invalidated.”
She captioned the video, “I’m coping well thanks for asking 🤪.”
Glenn still qualified for the final round where she’ll perform her free skate on February 19. She’s over 11 points behind first place.
Amber Glenn Shares Personal News Before Final Olympic Skate