Team USA ice skater Amber Glenn fell just short of the podium in women’s singles on Thursday, Feb. 19, finishing in fifth place after a disappointing short program at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Glenn bounced back in the free skate, scoring a 147.52 to move from 13th place after the short program to fifth in the final standings. Without a fall in the short program, she would’ve had a strong shot at medaling.
But unfortunately for Glenn, it didn’t work out that way. She was, however, able to make a joke out of the situation in a video she posted to TikTok on Friday, Feb. 20, where she landed the move she fell on during the short program despite holding her phone while doing so.
‘Come with me to do the jump that cost me an Olympic medal,’ Glenn said at the start of the video as she was skating around the practice rink.
Glenn then landed the jump.
‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘Everything’s fine.’
Glenn’s free skate, which secured the third-best score of any skater (147.52), was an impressive bounce-back given the circumstances. It was an important finish to her first, and possibly last, Olympics showing after the disappointing short program.
“No matter how the elements go today, I want to remember that I never even thought that I’d get here so that, in itself, is an accomplishment, and doing it as my authentic self and standing for what I believe in,’ Glenn told NBC before her performance.
Glenn’s TikTok was potentially therapeutic. And while she likely is still upset about how the short program unfolded, she’s leaving Milan with her head held high after her impressive rebound on Feb. 19 in the free skate.
