Team USA figure skater Amber Glenn became emotional after a challenging performance in the women’s short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.

The 26-year-old, the first openly queer woman to compete in Olympic figure skating for Team USA, finished the segment in 13th place with a score of 67.39 after a costly error in her routine.

Glenn opened strongly with a triple axel and a solid combination pass. However, her medal hopes took a major hit when she doubled a planned triple loop, rendering the element invalid and earning zero points. Though she completed the remainder of her skate, she struggled to hold back tears as she left the ice and embraced her coaches.

“I had it,” Glenn was heard telling coach Damon Allen. He responded: “It’s not over.”

Glenn skated to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” and the pop icon had previously sent her a supportive video message saying she was “blown away” by her performances this season.

Earlier in the Games, Glenn helped Team USA capture gold in the team event. She is also part of a trio of American skaters dubbed the “Blade Angels,” alongside Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito. Following the short program, Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto held the top two positions, with Liu in bronze medal position heading into the free skate.

Off the ice, Glenn recently announced she is stepping back from social media after receiving what she described as a “scary amount of hate” following comments she made about political issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

“When I chose to utilize freedom of speech to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans, I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats,” she wrote on Instagram. “I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now, but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in.”

Despite the setback in the short program, Glenn remains in contention ahead of the free skate, with an opportunity to climb the standings.

Amber Glenn in Tears After Olympic Program Goes Sour

 

Getty
To see all of that hard work go up in smoke is a difficult thing, and Amber Glenn didn’t hide her emotions after the run.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are in full swing, and Amber Glenn took to the ice on Tuesday, February 17, on the road to securing a gold medal for Team USA. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.

When taking the ice for her individual program on Tuesday, Glenn “bailed out of one of her jumps that went down as an ‘invalid element’ on the scoresheet,” The Athletic notes. At the end of the Olympic women’s short program, Glenn was 13th place with 67.39 points. That’s far lower than expected, especially for a skater poised to get the gold.

Olympic Figure Skater Amber Glenn Cries After Short Program

To see all of that hard work go up in smoke is a difficult thing, and Glenn didn’t hide her emotions after the run. After she failed to do one of her jumps, she clearly had a change in confidence, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to finish high on the board. When Glenn’s performance ended, she stayed on the ice with a heartbreaking look on her face.

“After her program, she clutched the necklaces on her burgundy lace dress and knelt at center ice. She broke down in tears when she hugged her coach,” the Los Angeles Times reported in a feature that went up immediately after her showing.

The L.A. Times adds, “She sat in the kiss-and-cry area for several extra seconds with her head bowed after her score was announced to process her performance.”

What Does Amber Glenn Make at the Olympics?

Even though Glenn now has a very small chance of getting old in the individual competition, she has a gold with her female figure skating partners in Team USA. So, what does Glenn receive for her gold medal that she won with the women’s figure staking team?

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, every other major world power gives retirement stipends, pensions or grants to its Olympians, but not the U.S. Instead, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee receives no federal funding and relies on other payment sources for its athletes.

The USOPC, according to research on their official website, gave $16 million in grants for stipends of 1,565 athletes in 2022. With their “Operation Gold,” an initiative started in 2017, U.S. Olympians who get medals win prize payments.

Going by the Olympic Paris numbers, when any U.S. Olympian wins gold, they get $37,500 for every gold medal. For a silver medal, athletes get $22,500, and for a bronze medal, it’s $15,000.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games-year operating surplus allows the USOPC to run a deficit in non-Games years and provides a consistent level of support for athletes during each year of the four-year quadrennial budget cycle,” the Committee stated on its website. They added, “Under that cycle, both revenue and expenses, which have a direct impact on supporting Team USA athletes, generally increase in Games years versus non-Games years.”

Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson