Olympian Amber Glenn Unveils 2026 Winter Olympics Crush
Amber Glenn, the 26-year-old figure skater, has opened up about her Olympic crush following her gold medal victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In an interview with Self Magazine on February 9, she stated, “I have many Olympic crushes,” before revealing her admiration for gymnast Lauren Hernandez.
“I love that she’s openly queer and that she is completely herself,” Glenn expressed, highlighting their shared nerdy interests. This revelation came just a day after Glenn secured a gold medal for Team USA in a team event on February 8, where she performed to Canadian artist Seb McKinnon’s song “The Return.” However, McKinnon later accused her of using his music without permission.
“So just found out an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs without permission for their routine,” he tweeted on Sunday. “It aired all over the world… what? Is that usual practice for the Olympics?”
As reported, since 2014, skaters have been permitted to use music with lyrics but must ensure proper clearance. The process for the Olympics is particularly intricate due to international streaming regulations. Glenn had been using McKinnon’s song in her free skate performances for two years prior to the incident.
In a follow-up tweet, McKinnon clarified his understanding of music licensing. “The deal I have with my label is that I alone can give the ok to license my music. I thought since this was on TV, that it fell under some kind of syncing,” he noted. “But it seems to be the same thing as radio? Glad to understand it more.”
Glenn addressed the situation in a statement, acknowledging the complexities surrounding music rights. “Seems like there was a hiccup in that whole process. I’m glad we cleared things up with Seb and I look forward to collaborating with him,” she said.
She expressed hope that her performance would attract new fans to both figure skating and McKinnon’s music. “We will move forward and continue supporting both artists and the skating community,” she added.
After her victory, McKinnon showed his support for Glenn by tweeting, “And plus she won Gold??? Huge congratz ❤️.” This year marks Glenn’s first Olympic competition, where she has also been vocal about her support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
During a press conference last week, she remarked on the challenges faced by the community under the current administration. “It’s been a hard time for the community overall,” she said, referencing her coming out as bisexual and pansexual in 2019. “It isn’t the first time that we’ve had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights.”
Glenn emphasized the importance of solidarity among various communities during these challenging times. “I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn’t have to before, and because of that, it’s made us a lot stronger.”
Despite facing online threats for her activism, Glenn remains steadfast in her beliefs. “I know that a lot of people say, ‘You’re just an athlete, like, stick to your job, shut up about politics,’ but politics affect us all,” she asserted.
