It has been quite the past three weeks for United States figure skater Amber Glenn at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Competing in her first Winter Games, the 26-year-old helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in the team event. Glenn, however, committed a critical mistake in the women’s individual short program. She was still able to qualify for the medal round, but the error virtually ruled her out of a podium finish.
Glenn bounced back majestically in the free skate. She turned in an incredible performance, resulting in a season-high score of 147.52. This brought her total score to 214.91, which was good enough for fifth place.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Glenn spoke to reporter Nick McCarvel before the closing ceremony of the Winter Games on Sunday. When asked about her experience in the Olympics, Glenn admitted that she feels “strange” now that she has to leave.
"Honestly, I'm trying to remember the exact date I got here, but it was the end of January," Glenn said. "So, it's so strange thinking I've been here for so long.
“But also, this feels like just my life now. Like, I live here. I live in the village, the dorms. Like, this is just life, right? So to go back is kind of a strange thought."
The Games lasted three weeks, but as she said, Glenn has been in Italy for nearly one month. She’s gotten used to life in the Olympic Village, and she’s already experiencing a sense of longing now that she’s heading back home to the U.S.
Glenn missed the 2022 Beijing Olympics because she had COVID. She grabbed her opportunity this year and is now coming home as an Olympic gold medalist. At 26, this is likely Glenn’s first and last Olympics. It was a memorable one for the Plano, Texas native, to say the least.