Winter Olympics star says coming out as LGBTQ+ made her a better athlete

American figure skater Amber Glenn is a contender for gold at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and she says coming out is why she’s excelling on the ice.

Selected as part of Team USA, she’ll head to Italy for the Winter Games as the first out LGBTQ+ woman to figure skate at an Olympics, according to Outsports.

Glenn came out publicly as bisexual and pansexual in 2019. “It was something that did set me free,” the 26-year-old told NBC News about coming out.

“I was able to feel like I wasn’t being pressured into trying to fill someone else’s shoes.”

Glenn says that coming out has been personally freeing. But also, living as her true self has led to an incredible moment in her career. Earlier this month, Glenn set a new record for the women’s US champion short program.

She then became the first US woman in 21 years to win a third consecutive US championship. If she gets on the podium, Glenn will become the first US woman to medal in figure skating since 2006.

Glenn came out in a Dallas Voice article covering Timothy LeDuc, who had become the first openly out athlete to win a US title in pairs skating. Sharing her support for her friend, she then publicly acknowledged her sexuality for the first time.

Looking back on it now, Glenn says that today she would make a more “professional” announcement. 

‘It was something that did set me free.’

@pinknews

Amber Glenn has made history by becoming the first out LGBTQ+ woman to compete in women’s figure skating. The 26-year-old figure skater, who identifies as bisexual and pansexual, will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Speaking about being the first time she skated after coming out, Glenn said: “I remember skating my first competition after coming out and seeing pride flags in the audience.” She continued: “People were cheering louder than ever. I almost started crying before I even skated. It was one of the most emotional performances of my life. I felt so free.” #olympics #winterolympics #lgbtqia🏳️‍🌈 #pansexual #bisexual

♬ Ethereal – Txmy

“I thought, ‘OK, this is my little baby step, and … barely anyone’s gonna see it.’ It was a local newspaper,” she said. “Yeah, it did not stay local. The next day it was, like, international news.”

Because figure skating is subjectively scored, Glenn worried that her identity might influence her scores. “I was scared that I’d be looked at as less feminine, less graceful or ‘Oh, are you the man in the relationship?’

“But I realized, well, if we’re ever going to get past that worry, someone has to do it. Someone has to break that mold and break that stereotype in order for the next person who comes out not to be afraid of that because they saw that it didn’t affect me.”

“I learned a lot, and I think that being an advocate for the queer community and for mental health is one of the reasons why I keep going.”

She also added that she believes that coming out has not impacted her scoring.

Furthermore, Glenn notes that she thinks figure skating is “unique” in its LGBTQ+ acceptance. 

Glenn noted: “We have more acceptance and more of a community in the queer space, and I feel like I’ve been accepted with open arms, and that’s not the case for all sports.”

The 2026 Winter Olympics is shaping up to be a fabulous showcase of LGBTQ+ athleticism. The Heated Rivalry stars are torch bearers and Team GB’s LGBTQ+ athletes are on top form, going for gold.