Plano’s Amber Glenn helped clinch Olympic gold for Team USA in a nail-biting figure skating team competition, marking a historic achievement for the 26-year-old Texan who has broken barriers both on and off the ice.
Glenn, who contributed crucial points with her third-place finish in the free skate, was part of the American squad that edged out Japan by a single point (69-68) thanks to Ilia Malinin’s championship-sealing performance. The victory represents the culmination of a remarkable journey for Glenn, who became the first openly LGBT female figure skater to represent Team USA at the Winter Olympics.
“I’m happy I was able to fight through the program and stay committed to everything,” Glenn said moments after her Olympic debut. “I’ve been practicing here incredibly; I’ve been feeling really good, and I think I just had some fatigue, and I need to really manage that going into the individual event. But I’m really proud of the mental strength that I’ve built over the years to be able to get through some mistakes in the beginning and really fight in the second half.”
From Plano to Olympic Glory
Born October 28, 1999, in Plano, Texas, Glenn’s figure skating journey began at just five years old, inspired by watching Sarah Hughes win gold at the 2002 Olympics. The daughter of Richard and Cathlene Glenn, she has steadily risen through the ranks of American figure skating over the past two decades, with her younger sister Brooke supporting her along the way, as profiles of the skater have noted.
What makes Glenn’s Olympic achievement even more remarkable? At 26, she’s the oldest U.S. women’s singles skater to qualify for the Olympics since 1928, breaking age barriers in a sport that often favors youth. Her perseverance has paid dividends in recent years, with Glenn capturing three consecutive U.S. National Championships (2024, 2025, and 2026) — the first American woman to accomplish this feat in two decades, according to her biography.
Technical innovation has been a hallmark of Glenn’s recent success. In 2023, she became just the sixth American woman to land the notoriously difficult triple Axel in competition, a jump that has helped elevate her to the sport’s elite level. This technical prowess contributed to her 2024 Grand Prix Final championship, making her the first American woman to claim that title in nearly fifteen years, as documented in her competitive history.
Beyond the Ice
Standing 167 cm tall, Glenn isn’t just defined by her athletic achievements. Off the ice, she lists mental health advocacy among her primary interests — a passion that resonates with her journey as an athlete who has spoken openly about personal struggles. Perhaps surprisingly, she’s also an enthusiast of the fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering, according to her official skating biography.
Her path to Olympic gold wasn’t without challenges. After winning her first junior national championship back in 2014, Glenn spent nearly a decade developing her skills and mental approach before capturing her first senior national title in 2024. That breakthrough victory set the stage for her current run of dominance in American figure skating.
Can Glenn add an individual Olympic medal to her team gold? She’ll have that opportunity in the women’s singles competition, where she’ll look to build on her fifth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships and continue making history for American figure skating.
For now, the Plano native has already secured her place in Olympic history — not just as a gold medalist, but as a trailblazer who has helped expand what’s possible both on and off the ice for the next generation of skaters from Texas and beyond.
