American figure skater Amber Glenn recently received a prestigious endorsement for her Olympic routine when Madonna, the undisputed Queen of Pop, sent a personalized video message to the athlete. Glenn, who choreographed her performance to the 1989 chart-topping masterpiece “Like a Prayer,” was left in a state of stunned disbelief just before taking the ice for the women’s short program in Milan, Italy.
In a video segment released by NBC Sports, Glenn is seen reacting with pure astonishment as she watches the surprise clip from the music legend. “I just witnessed your routine to my song, and I have to say, I was deeply impressed,” Madonna told the skater. The icon went on to describe the performance as “strong, beautiful, and brave,” before adding, “I can’t imagine you not reaching the top of the podium. Go get that gold.”
The gesture left Glenn momentarily speechless. “I’m in total shock,” she remarked once the video concluded. “I am legitimately shaking right now.”
Recovering her composure, Glenn shared a direct message of gratitude to the superstar. “My queen, thank you so deeply,” she said. “You are a timeless icon and forever stunning. Thank you for championing the artistic vision of athletes. I truly hope I did your song justice.”
While the high-profile encouragement provided a significant morale boost, the women’s short program concluded with Glenn positioned 13th in the overall rankings. Her fellow Americans, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito, currently occupy the third and eighth spots, respectively.
The 2026 Winter Games have been an eventful journey for Glenn. Earlier in the competition, she utilized “The Return” by Canadian artist CLANN (Seb McKinnon) for her free skate. That performance briefly made headlines due to a misunderstanding regarding music rights. However, both Glenn and McKinnon confirmed shortly after that the matter had been amicably settled.
“I first encountered Seb McKinnon’s music two years ago and felt an immediate, profound connection to it,” Glenn stated regarding the resolution. “The nuances of music licensing can be quite complex, leading to a minor hiccup, but I’m thrilled we’ve aligned. I look forward to further collaboration with him in the future.”
