The moment Amber Glenn pushed off for her short program in St. Louis, the U.S. Championships stopped feeling like a typical pressure cooker and started to resemble a stadium concert. Her record-breaking skate to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” did more than top the leaderboard, it turned the arena into a full-throated sing-along and signaled that the American champion is arriving at the height of her powers just in time for the Olympic spotlight.
By the time she struck her final pose, the crowd was already on its feet, roaring over the last notes of the song. The performance fused technical command with pop-star showmanship, and the score that followed confirmed what the audience had sensed in real time: Glenn had just rewritten the national record book and reset expectations for what a U.S. women’s short program can look and feel like.
The Madonna moment that shook St. Louis
Glenn’s short program was built around Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” and she skated it with a conviction that made the music feel like a personal anthem rather than a retro soundtrack choice. Earlier in the week, she had already drawn attention for a dynamic take on the same routine, with reports noting how On Wednesday she performed the Madonna “Like a Prayer” program in a way that showcased both power and theatrical flair. In St. Louis, that concept reached its peak, as she layered crisp jumps and intricate spins over choreography that invited the crowd to clap, sing, and effectively join the performance.
The judges rewarded that blend of difficulty and charisma with a short-program score of 83.05 points, a mark that broke the previous U.S. record by almost four points and instantly became the new standard for American women. That number was not an outlier plucked from a weak field, it came in a showdown environment at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, where the crowd’s sing-along energy met the cold precision of the scoring system and Glenn managed to satisfy both. The result put her firmly in first place after the short and set the tone for the rest of the event.
From Plano prodigy to three-time American champion
To understand why this particular skate resonated so strongly, it helps to trace Glenn’s path from Texas rinks to national dominance. The Plano native has long been known as a powerful jumper and emotive performer, but earlier this year she elevated that reputation by shattering the short-program record at the U.S. Championships, with local coverage in Plano and Dallas leaning into the “Let the choir sing” vibe that her Madonna program naturally evokes. That breakout in St. Louis was not a one-off; it was the culmination of seasons of incremental gains in consistency and component scores.
Her short-program lead put her on the cusp of a third straight national title, with Amber Glenn heading into the free skate as the clear favorite at the Figure Skating Championshi. She delivered under that pressure, converting the short-program advantage into a third consecutive U.S. crown and joining a select group of American women who have managed a national three-peat. Reports from the final noted that she held off the reigning world champion Alysa Liu, underscoring that this was not just a coronation but a genuine contest at the top of the sport.
The victory also locked in Glenn’s status as the leading American hope for the Milan Cortina Games, with coverage of her three-peat emphasizing how she is now the face of the U.S. women’s team heading into Milan Cortina in February. That trajectory, from Plano standout to three-time American champion, gives her Madonna program added narrative weight: it is not just a viral moment, it is the signature piece of a skater arriving at her competitive peak.
A record, a rivalry, and an Olympic preview
Glenn’s 83.05 points in the short did more than secure a lead, it reframed the domestic rivalry with Alysa Liu and hinted at how U.S. women might stack up internationally. On the same opening night in St. Louis, Flawless Liu stayed calm, cool, and collected to post 81.11, a world-class number that would have won many prior nationals. That Glenn could outpace 81.11 with her own record total speaks to the technical arms race at the top of U.S. women’s skating and the rising standard both will need to meet against international fields.
The free skate confirmed Glenn’s ability to manage that rivalry over two programs. On Friday night in St. Louis, reports described how Friday in Louis belonged to Amber Glenn, as the American champion held off the world champion Alysa Liu to secure her third straight national title. That kind of head-to-head success, combined with the short-program record, positions her as a legitimate podium threat when she steps onto Olympic ice.
For Glenn, the Madonna program is now inseparable from that larger story. Analysts have highlighted how her 83.05 points at Nationals Figure Championship not only secured first place at the championship but also showcased a blend of athleticism and pop-culture savvy that can resonate with Olympic audiences beyond the usual skating diehards. If she can reproduce the same electricity that turned a U.S. arena into a Madonna sing-along, Glenn will arrive in Milan Cortina not just as a medal contender, but as one of the sport’s most watchable performers.
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