U.S Figure Skater Amber Glenn Announces Honor After Losing Worlds

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 8:39 AM ET

Amber Glenn’s bid for a world title ended in Prague last week, where the three-time U.S. champion opened the women’s short program with a huge triple Axel and sat third after that segment before finishing sixth overall at the 2026 ISU World Championships with 203.12 points.

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto won the title. She performed a clean triple Lutz, double Axel and triple flip-triple toe loop combination. Glenn was left well off the podium after singling out a loop, but the American still left the meet having shown the jump that has become central to her rise.

"I was trying so hard to stay calm because that's usually been my issue, and I kind of just lost my focus," she expressed.

Amber Glenn of the United States competes in the womens figure skating short program.© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The consolation came in the form of a very different honor. Glenn’s Madonna-inspired short-program costume for “Like a Prayer,” designed by Lisa McKinnon, won Rocker Skating’s fan-voted March Clad-ness “Costume of the Season” for 2025-26. The bracket began with 64 costumes after more than 1,000 nominations and ran from March 16 to March 29, with Glenn’s look beating its final-round opponent 66% to 34%.

The costume had already become one of the season’s most recognizable looks. A burgundy lace design with off-the-shoulder sleeves, frilled wrists and chain statement necklaces. McKinnon sketched it while listening to Madonna and built the look around thw 26-year-old's “Like a Prayer” program.

Last 1.5 days to nominate your favorite costumes of the season! Seniors, juniors, competition, exhibition. Bracket will be live on Tuesday and you’ll get to pick who moves onto the next rounds!

Oh and yes, performances of the season coming after Worlds

✨https://t.co/YPmeu8jGRD https://t.co/sGPUedkOoc
— Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) March 14, 2026

Glenn’s results in Prague also highlighted how much she carried through a long season. She was looking for redemption after a difficult Olympic run. "It wasn't great but it wasn't the worst," she said after. "I feel like I put my heart into it and I really stayed focused."

Olympic gold winner Alyssa Liu did not participate in the event as she chose to withdraw due to her packed off-season schedule.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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