Amber Glenn goes into "calm beast" mode as she turns her 2024 Grand Prix Final debut golden
The U.S. national champion remains undefeated this season with four victories in four competitions, including her debut Grand Prix Final.
Figure Skating
It was a year of firsts for Amber Glenn who capped off a breakthrough 2024 with a women's singles at her career's first ISU Grand Prix Final on Saturday, 7 December.
The victory in Grenoble, France, was the latest in expectation-shattering performances from the USA figure skater. She started the year by becoming a U.S. national champion, continued by taking her first international gold, at the Challenger Series Lombardia Trophy in September, and won back-to-back Grand Prix events in November, which marked her first victories in the series.
The Grand Prix de France and Cup of China winner was close to her personal best at the 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final as she delivered seven triple jumps, starting with her signature triple Axel, to collect 142.03 points and give herself more than three points in the lead in a field where she was the only non-Japanese woman.
It was the first Grand Prix Final victory for the 25-year-old who has been competing internationally since she was 13.
While it was a solid performance, Glenn later said she felt far from her best. The skater was "freaked out" when she almost fell after the triple Axel in her short program and struggled to collect herself mentally for the rest of the jumps. The near-trip also pinched Glenn's rib, which led to her walking off the ice holding her back.
She fell twice in her jumps during the warm-up right before the free skate competition, but was in control once her name was announced, last to go in the group.
"Before I go on the ice, one of the things I started saying was 'calm beast'," Glenn said of her de-stress secret. "One of the coaches at my rink told me, when I was getting really well one day, that I looked like a calm beast. So being calm and not rushing everything."
Glenn's "calm beast" mantra in Grenoble also included saying the words "you're here, you made it here, just do it" just before going on the ice at the Patinoire Polesud.
And do it she did, delivering a moving skate to "I Will Find You" by Audiomachine and "The Return" by CLANN.
As the final notes of the music sounded and Glenn kneeled in her finishing pose, her coach Damon Allen was already jumping up and down at the boards in celebration. A few minutes later, as the score was announced, a surprised Glenn herself cried out "Oh my God!"
"I have not felt my best being here. So unfortunately, it wasn't a skate where I was just, 'Yay, so excited! Oh my gosh', smiling. I was there to do a job and I did that to the best of my ability," she said after. "I would not say it was quite a performance. More of a demonstration of skill. I hope that I can really work on that going into nationals and hopefully worlds, but I'm very proud of my consistency because that is something that I have struggled with for a very long time."
Japan's Chiba Mone and Sakamoto Kaori finished in second and third, respectively.
Amber Glenn and her coach react with delight upon winning the 2024 Grand Prix Final.
ISU Grand Prix Final 2024 – Senior women's final result
Free skating score in parentheses
- Amber Glenn (USA) 212.07 (142.03)
- Chiba Mone (JPN) 208.85 (139.52)
- Sakamoto Kaori (JPN) 201.13 (137.15)
- Higuchi Wakaba (JPN) 195.96 (134.35)
- Yoshida Hana (JPN) 194.02 (129.79)
- Matsuike Rino (JPN) 189.02 (126.39)
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