She did it.
In an emotional second skate, Amber Glenn delivered a nearly flawless free skate on Thursday to score a season-best personal.
The 26-year-old had suffered a devastating blow in Tuesday’s short program after failing to complete all three rotations of a triple loop — a mistake that cost her several much needed points and dropped her into 13th place.
The error essentially removed Glenn from medal contention.
Medal or no medal, Glenn came out onto the ice Thursday eager to prove herself on the Olympic stage. And that she did.
The skater nailed her opening triple axel and the majority of her program. The triple axel is her hardest jump, and is only performed by one other woman at these Games.
In her final jump, a triple loop, she put her hand down during her landing.
The small mistake didn’t dampen Glenn’s free skate. She earned her season-best score with 147.52 points, placing her in first place with 12 skaters left to go.
“I’m at the Olympics. I didn’t fall. I didn’t fall at the Olympics,” Glenn could be overheard saying on the NBC broadcast, talking to her team.
Olympic figure skater Mariah Bell reacts to Amber Glenn’s short program, including the heartbreaking error where she failed to complete her triple loop.
Glenn was the first of three American figure skaters to take the ice Thursday.
Fellow “Blade Angels” Isabeau Levito and Alysa Liu were scheduled to follow — with Liu in the best position to reach the podium.