MILAN — The medal wasn’t what Amber Glenn wanted. When she botched the final jump of her otherwise faultless short program, it was the shattering of her dream that left Glenn more distraught than the score that dropped her to 13th place.
“I was devastated that I lost the happiness and the enjoyment that I wanted to have out there on the ice to say, like, I fought for everything, I did everything I could,” Glenn said Wednesday after training at Milano Ice Skating Arena. “That’s what I truly wanted, and that’s what I missed out on.”
Glenn was one jump away from her moment Tuesday. She aced her triple axel and got her combination jump. The crowd’s excitement was building. Then she popped the final jump attempt, unraveling in the air and stopping short of the planned three revolutions. She clutched the necklaces on her dress at center ice afterward and sobbing while hugging her coach.
One of the leaders for building the team camaraderie that has defined this era of U.S. women’s figure skating, Glenn found comfort in her fellow “Blade Angel” Alysa Liu, who was quick to offer an encouraging hug. Glenn instead wanted Liu to enjoy her own moment after the 20-year-old from Oakland was third entering Thursday’s free skate.
“She’s super strong,” Liu said Tuesday night, “so she can handle it.”
Liu, the reigning world champion, remains the United States’ last, best hope for a figure skating medal in Milan. The United States has not won an Olympic medal in women’s singles skating since 2006. Liu is only 2.12 points behind first-place Ami Nakai. Nakai’s Japanese teammate Kaori Sakamoto is second with 77.23 points, only 1.48 points behind her 17-year-old teammate and 0.64 points ahead of Liu.
The top six are separated by only 6.94 points after a competitive short program event that featured strong performances from most of the top contenders, including the United States’ Isabeau Levito. The 2024 world silver medalist is in eighth, but just 5.75 points behind Liu. The difference could be equivalent to the base value of one triple jump.
The high standard set by other competitors made Glenn’s singular mistake even more costly in the short program. While the free skate is more forgiving, the short program has seven specific requirements, including three for jumps. One jump has to be a double or triple axel. There has to be a jump combination that consists of a double jump and a triple jump or two triple jumps. And there has to be another triple jump.
So when the stand-alone triple loop toward the end of Glenn’s program turned into a double, it meant the entire element was void and she earned nothing for it. During the free skate, the same mistake would simply earn a lower base value.
The triple loop was the easiest jump in Glenn’s program and her favorite, she said. But she tapped her foot while spinning and lost her balance.
“I was a little bit noodley,” Glenn said.
Still needing to perform three more required elements, Glenn tried to smile through her step sequence to save every fraction of a point she could. She has seen the stories of Norwegian Alpine skier Atle Lie McGrath trudging off the giant slalom course and lying in the snow after a mistake cost him a chance at a gold medal during these Games. She wished she had that option.
“[The judges] expect you to still perform like you’re having the time of your life,” Glenn said, “when, in reality, your dreams are just smashed to pieces.”
Glenn has shown her resilience already in Milan. She struggled on the first two elements of her free skate during the team competition but instead of crumbling the way she often did when she was younger, Glenn rallied to finish third. The United States held on to win the gold medal by one point. The moment was a testament to Glenn’s growth, she said.
Years of mental preparation have helped Glenn get to the Olympic stage, but she said nothing could prepare her for the unique stress of the Games. She wanted to say that these experiences could serve as learning opportunities for her next Olympic run, but she knows that’s unlikely at this stage of her career.
Instead, Glenn’s experiences set an example for her teammates. The 18-year-old Levito, the youngest of the U.S. skaters, said she hopes to return to the Olympics in 2030 because Glenn has shown her what’s possible.
“Seeing Amber being here at 26 is very inspiring and also kind of reassuring that I, in fact, could go so long,” Levito said. “She’s in her prime, I feel, at 26.”
The three-time U.S. champion still became an Olympic champion in Milan. Glenn already has her medal from the team event. Now she just wants her moment, the one she pictured as a child.
“I always imagined, like, me doing like a spiral and looking up being like ‘I’m at the Olympics,’” Glenn said with optimism in her voice. “That’s what I want.”
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