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Amber Glenn did not fall in her Olympic short program, but one small mistake changed everything.
The U.S. figure skater entered the event with realistic medal hopes. Instead, she left the ice in tears after a technical error dropped her to 13th place and made a gold medal a longshot.
The following day, Glenn spoke openly about what happened and how it felt in the moment, according to Time.
Amber Glenn’s Short Program Mistake Proves Costly
Late in her routine, Glenn planned to complete a triple loop. Instead, she executed a double loop. Under Olympic scoring rules, that downgrade invalidated the element and erased seven potential points from her total score.
The error did not involve a fall or a dramatic stumble. But in Olympic figure skating, even small mistakes carry significant consequences. The lost points dropped Glenn well out of medal position and left her needing a near-perfect free skate — along with mistakes from skaters ahead of her — to climb back into contention.
Glenn understood the impact immediately after landing the jump. The energy she showed at the start of her performance shifted, and when she finished, she broke down in tears and embraced her coach.
Glenn Calls the Mistake ‘Soul-Crushing’
GettyTeam USA’s Amber Glenn cries after receiving a penalty during the women’s short program figure skating event at the Winter Olympics
After skipping media interviews immediately following the skate, Glenn returned to practice the next day and addressed reporters.
“I have always been known to wear my heart on my sleeve, which is what makes me relatable, but it also makes it hard for me to hide how I feel,” Glenn told reporters, per Time. “And in that moment, it was soul-crushing. Because I did the hard stuff, and it was the easiest thing, my favorite jump, that just got away from me.”
She said the mistake was not caused by Olympic pressure.
“It wasn’t the pressure that got to me, it was just a literal lack of balance,” Glenn said. “Like, I just kind of, like, lost my balance for a second. And, you know, stuff happens.”
Glenn also described how difficult it is to continue performing after realizing a medal opportunity may be slipping away.
“You can’t fix it,” she said. “I didn’t get to skate off like I see in other sports, where you make a mistake and you’re done and you just kind of [go] off into the woods.
“I wish I could do that. But they expect you to smile, and they expect you to still perform, like you’re having the time of your life, when in reality your dreams were just smashed to pieces.”
Amber Glenn Says Losing Joy on Olympic Ice Hurt More Than Medal Odds
Glenn said what hurt most was not the reduced medal chances but the loss of joy she hoped to feel skating on Olympic ice.
“I was devastated because I lost the happiness and the enjoyment that I wanted to have out there on the ice to say, ‘I fought for everything, I did everything I could,’” Glenn said. “That’s what I truly wanted, and that’s what I missed out on.
“So that’s what I’m hoping to do tomorrow. When I was little, I always imagined me doing a spiral and looking up and being like, ‘I’m at the Olympics.’ That’s what I want.”
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