2026 Winter Olympics women single skating free skating: Amber Glenn rises from 13th place with stunning 147.52 free skate reaction

Amber Glenn walked off the ice on Thursday with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. The American figure skater delivered a strong free skate and scored 147.52 points. That pushed her total score to 214.91 and moved her into first place at that moment in the women’s event. Just two days earlier, things looked very different. During Tuesday’s short program, Amber Glenn missed one of her planned jumps. That mistake dropped her to 13th place and hurt her medal hopes. She later called that moment “soul crushing.” But on Thursday, she came back calm, focused, and ready.

As soon as her music stopped, she bowed to the crowd while fans cheered loudly. She pumped her fist and looked up as if to say she had given everything. When her score appeared, she screamed with joy and hugged her coach. It was a complete turnaround from Tuesday. The free skate event is still not finished, and many skaters are left. But at that point, Amber Glenn was sitting in first place. Her teammates Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito are also set to skate.

Amber Glenn opens up about short program setback and proud Olympic free skate comeback performance

After her skate, Amber Glenn spoke with NBC about what was going through her mind. She said she made a choice to stay positive, even after the tough short program.

“I made myself be happy about it,” Amber Glenn said. “Deep down, of course, I know I could’ve done better, but I told myself to enjoy it. I had my moment in my spiral when I told myself ‘You just skated, stayed on your feet at the Olympics.’ I’m proud that I was able to have that moment.”

Those words show how much Tuesday stayed with her. Falling to 13th place was hard. Many saw her as someone who could fight for a medal. Missing that jump cost her valuable points.

Still, she did not let that mistake define her week. On Thursday, she landed her key jumps and stayed steady through most of the routine. Near the end, she had a small wobble on her final jump, and she motioned afterward that she was “so close” to a perfect skate. Even so, her score of 147.52 proved how strong her performance was.

The crowd could feel the emotion. You could see it in her face when she waited for the numbers. When 147.52 flashed on the screen, she shouted and wrapped her arms around her coach. It was not just about points. It was about redemption.

With Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito still to come, the standings may change. But for now, Amber Glenn has reminded everyone why she was seen as a medal hopeful. She turned heartbreak into hope in just two days.

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