Amber Glenn advocates for athlete privacy after consoling Kaori Sakamoto at Winter Olympics
Photo: Reuters
Amber Glenn has spoken out about athlete privacy after stepping in to support Kaori Sakamoto during an emotional moment at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
The women’s free skating final took place on February 19, delivering a series of high-level performances. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto secured second place with a total score of 224.90, finishing behind American skater Alysa Liu, who claimed gold with 226.79 points.
Following the announcement of the final scores, Sakamoto became visibly emotional and broke down in tears. Glenn moved quickly to console her fellow competitor, attempting to create space as cameras and reporters gathered around the Japanese skater.
“Dude I know it’s their job but they will get all up in your business when you clearly need space it’s wild”
͢ Amber’s comment on a TikTok of her comforting Kaori Sakamoto after her free skate.
🎥: antonausberlin
pic.twitter.com/lzH6wsQsI9Footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing Glenn asking cameramen to stop filming. Responding to the clip on TikTok, she addressed the issue directly, writing, “Dude, I know it’s their job, but they will get all up in your business when you clearly need space it’s wild!”
Glenn’s comments have prompted discussion around the balance between media coverage and athlete wellbeing at major sporting events.
The 26-year-old American also reflected on her own performance. After placing 13th in the heats following a fall, she delivered a strong free skate in the final, climbing to fifth overall with a score of 214.53. Her routine included a clean triple axel and a composed performance under pressure.
Speaking afterwards, Glenn said, “I made myself be happy about it. Deep down, of course, I know I could have done better, but I told myself enjoy it. I had my moment and my spiral, and told myself, ‘you just skated, stayed on your feet at the Olympics.’ I’m proud I had my moment.”
She added, “That six-year-old girl who never thought I’d ever be here. I told myself to go out there, do your job, and I was working towards being able to have that spiral moment in the sequence. That was my reward. So it was chasing a goal.”
Glenn also leaves the Games with a gold medal from the team event.