American figure skater Amber Glenn competed in the women's singles free skate at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, contributing to the United States' gold medal in the team event. Her performance occurred amidst the resolution of a music copyright dispute regarding her program music and a period of social media criticism following her comments on the LGBTQ+ community. Glenn is now preparing for the individual competition.
Olympic Team Event Performance and Medal
American figure skater Amber Glenn competed in the women's singles free skate at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, contributing to the United States' gold medal in the team event. She finished third in the women's singles free skate component, scoring 138.62 points. Glenn landed her opening triple axel during the program, despite a non-clean landing.
She attributed her performance to not feeling well physically and expressed disappointment, though also pride in completing the program, noting it indicated mental growth.
The United States team secured the overall gold medal, with teammate Ilia Malinin contributing a win in the men's singles with five quad jumps. Glenn participated in the national anthem ceremony and wore an LGBTQ+ pin during the team medal ceremony.
Individual Competition Outlook
Glenn's score of 138.62 was 10 points behind Japan's Kaori Sakamoto in the free skate segment. Her recent performance at the World Championships included a score of 150.50. To contend for an individual medal, Glenn will need to improve her performance. American women have not won an individual Olympic medal in 20 years.
Glenn is currently preparing for the women's individual competition, scheduled to begin on February 17. She had reported successful practices during the week leading up to the competition.
Music Copyright Dispute and Resolution
Glenn became involved in a music copyright dispute concerning her free skate program. Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, who performs as CLANN, stated publicly that his song "The Return" was used without his prior permission. McKinnon indicated he discovered the song's use after it aired globally and that his agreement with his label requires explicit approval for music licensing.
Glenn acknowledged a "hiccup" in the process and confirmed the issue was resolved, expressing openness to potential future collaboration with McKinnon. She had previously used "The Return" for two years without incident. McKinnon affirmed the resolution, stating his objective was to ensure artists' rights regarding consent, credit, and fair compensation are respected.
The International Skating Union (ISU) relaxed rules regarding vocal music in 2014, which has led to increased demands for compensation from artists. Glenn had commented prior to the Winter Games that such issues can be perceived as a "cash grab" and expressed disappointment that artists do not always appreciate their music inspiring creative performances. The ISU is working to assist skaters with managing copyright. Other skaters at the Winter Games, including Spain's Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate and Russia's Petr Gumennik, also faced music permission issues.
Social Media Reaction to LGBTQ+ Comments
Glenn, a member of the LGBTQ+ community and an LGBTQ+ rights activist, reported receiving social media criticism, including death threats and numerous harmful online comments. This followed her remarks in a pre-Olympics press conference where she commented on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, specifically under President Donald Trump. Glenn stated she was surprised by the volume of criticism.
She announced a temporary withdrawal from social media via Instagram. She affirmed that the online comments did not influence her Olympic performance. Glenn has stated her intention to continue expressing her views and expressed hope for positive progress. She previously indicated her intention to use her platform to encourage resilience and stated that online attacks on individuals for expressing their views are inappropriate.
Athlete Background
At 26 years old, Amber Glenn is the oldest U.S. Olympic singles skater in nearly a century. She is known for consistently landing the triple axel, a difficult triple jump. Glenn has previously discussed her experiences with anxiety and mental health. She entered the competition following recent success on the international circuit, having become the first woman since Michelle Kwan to win three consecutive U.S. titles.