Amber Glenn has ascended to the pinnacle of global figure skating, solidifying her place there with a groundbreaking triumph at the Grand Prix Final on Saturday. Glenn has made history as the first American to triumph in the women’s Grand Prix Final since Alissa Czisny 14 years earlier, while three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto had […]
Amber Glenn has ascended to the pinnacle of global figure skating, solidifying her place there with a groundbreaking triumph at the Grand Prix Final on Saturday.
Glenn has made history as the first American to triumph in the women’s Grand Prix Final since Alissa Czisny 14 years earlier, while three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto had to settle for the third position.
This achievement marks a remarkable breakout season for the 25-year-old skater from Texas, who remains undefeated in the 2024-25 season, and concludes a year that started with her first U.S. national title in January. Glenn acknowledged that adjusting to being at the top of the podium has its challenges.
“I’m so tired,” she shared. “It’s been a whirlwind of a season, and I’ve been grappling with this imposter syndrome. Just thinking: ‘Oh, no, no, that can’t be me winning.’ But I’m thrilled to see my hard work paying off, and this is a wonderful event, and I’m grateful to even be part of it.”
Competing last in the six-woman lineup against five Japanese skaters, there was little evidence of the discomfort that had troubled Glenn during Thursday’s short program.
Glenn kicked off her performance with a bold triple axel and navigated a minor wobble in her free skate—doubling an intended triple salchow and slightly under-rotating a triple flip—ultimately finishing robustly and achieving a final score of 212.07 for the victory.
Mone Chiba, a silver medalist in both her Grand Prix events this season, took second place with a score of 208.85. World champion Sakamoto, who struggled in the short program, bounced back with an impressive free skate to the music of “Chicago” for a bronze finish with a score of 201.13.
The U.S. could potentially secure two more championships later on Saturday. Ilia Malinin leads the men’s event heading into the free skate, while Madison Chock and Evan Bates are in the lead in the ice dance category.