amber glenn Falls to 13th After 'Soul‑Crushing' Short Program at Milano Cortina
Amber Glenn's Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina Games took a painful turn on Feb. 17, 2026 (ET), when a costly technical error in the women's short program erased a key scoring element and left the U. S. skater 13th going into the free skate. Glenn called the experience "soul‑crushing" and spent the following day preparing for a must‑hit free skate on Feb. 19, 2026 (ET).
One jump changed the night: triple axel landed, triple loop popped to double
Glenn arrived at the short program having executed some of the most difficult content in the field: she was one of only two women to land a triple axel that night and completed a triple–triple combination earlier in the program while skating to Madonna's "Like a Prayer. " But late in the routine a flying sit spin went awry when Glenn "tapped down" and lost core stability, a small lapse that carried into the approach to her triple loop. Instead of the planned triple, she popped the attempt into a double, which in the short program format invalidated the required triple element and cost her the seven points that would have accompanied it.
The error erased her realistic medal hopes for the event and dropped her to 13th place after the short. Glenn finished the program visibly distraught, breaking into tears on the ice and accepting a consoling hug from her coach as the arena reacted to the sudden swing in the standings.
Emotional aftermath and the road ahead: 'your dreams were just smashed to pieces'
The morning after, on Feb. 18, 2026 (ET), Glenn returned to the ice to practice the free skate scheduled for Feb. 19, 2026 (ET). She declined immediate media availability in the hours after the short program but later spoke candidly about the experience, saying she wears her emotions openly and that the mistake felt "soul‑crushing. " Glenn described the odd cruelty of figure skating: unlike some sports where an athlete can simply walk off the course after an error, skaters must finish and smile for the crowd even when a single mistake has altered their entire Olympic trajectory. "I wish I could do that, " she said, then added, "your dreams were just smashed to pieces. "
Glenn also framed the error as a momentary physical lapse rather than a panic from pressure: a loss of balance at a single moment rather than a collapse under expectation. Her coaching team and teammates rallied; a fellow U. S. skater was first to greet her when she stepped off the ice, underscoring a close team dynamic that has been a notable feature of their presence in Milan and Cortina.
What Glenn must do next and why the margin is thin
With the short program score voided for the triple loop, Glenn faces a steep climb. To move back into medal contention she will need near‑perfect execution in Thursday's free skate and an unusual number of errors from skaters currently ahead of her. Glenn emphasized the work she's done on emotional recovery and resilience in recent years, noting past instances where she has battled through early mistakes to deliver stronger finishes. Still, the mechanics of the short program — fixed required elements, heavy penalties for missing a prescribed jump — left little room for recovery on Feb. 17, 2026 (ET).
The coming free skate will test both her technical arsenal and her ability to compartmentalize the disappointment of the short. Fans and teammates will be watching to see whether the growth her coach has pointed to — an improved capacity to push past early errors — carries her through in what is now a must‑deliver performance on Feb. 19, 2026 (ET).
For now, Glenn has framed the setback with stark honesty: she is a vocal advocate for mental health and has long worn her heart on her sleeve. That openness will remain central as she attempts to turn a single, devastating mistake into a comeback narrative on one of sport's largest stages.
