Amber Glenn fights through long-awaited Winter Olympics debut
U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn has been eagerly awaiting her Olympic moment, which arrived on Sunday evening (8 February) at the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano Cortina. At 26 years old, she made history as the oldest American female figure skater to debut at the Games in nearly a century. However, her inaugural performance was not quite the fairy tale she had anticipated.
In her free skate during the team event’s women’s finale, Glenn battled her nerves and the pressure of the Olympic stage. “I fought for everything. I was very determined regardless of how I felt to fight for as many points as I could,” she expressed to reporters after the event. Describing her experience on ice, she admitted, “Honestly, I don’t know if I could have felt worse out there. It was really, really rough.”
This was Glenn’s first Olympic experience, following close calls in the past. She missed the 2018 Games after finishing eighth at the U.S. Championships and had to withdraw from the selection event in 2022. Despite her earlier resolve to treat the Olympics like any other competition, the significance of the moment was evident as she stood poised for her opening jump: the daunting triple Axel.
While Glenn managed to land that jump and the rest throughout her program, her performance felt tentative. Ultimately, she secured a third-place finish behind Japan’s three-time World champion and reigning Olympic bronze medalist Sakamoto Kaori and Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova.
“Not having a short program before made things feel a little odd,” she explained, emphasizing the importance of adjusting to the competition atmosphere. She continued, “I need some time to rest, recover, and then build back up for the individual.” Glenn attributed some of her struggles to physical fatigue rather than psychological hurdles, stating, “I physically just felt bad. My leg was hurting; I was tired.”
As Glenn looks ahead to the individual competition, she remains a strong medal contender. The short program is set for 17 February, and with lessons learned from her debut, she hopes to make a stronger impression. Fans can expect the fierce determination that has always characterized her journey in figure skating, setting the stage for an exciting next chapter at the Winter Olympics.
