The 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships took place Jan. 4 – 11 in St. Louis, Missouri and started the year off right with wins for LGBTQ+ representation in the sport as out skater Amber Glenn earned a spot on the Olympic team. Top skater in the women’s category, Amber Glenn, 26, who came out as pansexual in 2019 took the ice in a performance that showcased her queer identity.
Glenn was appointed to the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Milan and across Northern Italy between Feb. 6-22. By taking a place on the U.S. team, Glenn will become the first out queer women to openly compete in Olympic women’s figure skating.
“I can’t wait to get back home and train. I’m so thrilled to be able to have the privilege of representing my country at the Olympics. I can’t wait. I’m so excited. I hope I can make my country and myself proud,” Glenn said of the achievement.
Throughout her career, Glenn, who hails from Texas, has displayed her LGBTQ+ pride on the ice, holding a Pride flag after competing, and openly speaking about her mental health, sexuality, and ambitions to make ice skating a more inclusive sport. The athlete has discussed her struggles with depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder openly.
“Seeing some of those struggles…can help [young people] acknowledge, ‘Hey, I have the same thing. I feel the same way sometimes and that’s okay. Amber has struggled with it, but she got help, she spoke out to an adult and is able to do what she’s doing at this level and I want to do that too,” she said back in December.
NPR reports Glenn is renowned for her athleticism, being one of the only American women who can consistently land a triple Axel in competitions. With her success in Missouri, Glenn was awarded her third consecutive U.S. title, making her the first U.S. women’s champion since Michelle Kwan to achieve three back-to-back national crowns, according to OutSports.
