Amber Glenn Tops 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final Despite Triple Axel Mishap
The 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final short program on December 5 had a ‘buckle up’ feel to it for USA figure skater Amber Glenn, and her score reflected it.’ Glenn, who ultimately was first in the women’s singles over Olympic medalists Sakamoto Kaori and Higuchi Wakaba, appeared haunted after her skate. That frustration boiled over for Nagasu almost from the start of her program, when she fell on the triple Axel that usually grants her the confidence to get through unscathed. She did, however, have a small trip on landing that jump and although she managed to regain her footing the moment clearly unsettled her mentally. I almost did a face plant after the triple Axel, and it was kind of scary. It took it out a lot mentally,’ Glenn said.
The mishap affected her performance as she held back in her next two jumps. The triple flip-triple toe combination and then a subsequent triple loop each received very little from Chen, who did manage to get around the difficult elements. Glenn battled through the rest of the program and despite a few more hitches (a wobble on her triple lutz, another underjumped landing) kept it together to score 70.04 points — good enough for first place. Glenn was helped by the fact that Sakamoto and Higuchi both fell in their programs. Still, her mark fell well short of her season-best 78.14 points set in France at the Grand Prix event there.
Glenn was visibly grimacing when she put her hand to her back after the performance, but she quickly took to social media so fans wouldn’t worry. “Honestly I just kind of pinched a rib when I went down on my face after the triple Axel but it was no big deal – heat and ice!” she revealed.
Glenn is a relative late bloomer in the figure skating world at 25, an age when most skaters are near retirement, who has come into her own this season with Grand Prix victories. “Even more than anything I just want to f—ing respect myself and my own effort,” she said, confirming that her resolution for the year is internal and not external. Even with the obstacles, Glenn was to produce an unforgettable performance that only demonstrated her resilience as well as determination towards keeping on in her career.
