Amber Glenn stood up for a fellow Olympian in a low moment.
The Team USA figure skating star shielded Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto from a cameraman after the latter made a mistake that ultimately cost her what would have been her first gold medal, which instead went to American Alysa Liu.
The clip showed Glenn, who could commiserate since she also experienced the agony of ruining her chance at winning gold with mistakes earlier in the Games, squatting down and putting her arm on Sakamoto’s back while the Japanese star appeared to be crying inside the bowels of the arena.
As one cameraman tried to get a shot, Glenn rose and stood in front of the camera while waving her hands and indicating that the clip would not be filmed.
Glenn allegedly commented on a TikTok video of the scene, according to Newsweek: “Dude I know it’s their job but they will get all up in your business when you clearly need space it’s wild.”
The Milano Cortina Olympics carried extra meaning for Sakamoto since the 25-year-old announced last year she would be retiring after these Games.
Sakamoto entered the final leg of the women’s free skating competition in second place with a realistic shot to win that elusive gold medal.
Liu had taken the lead when Sakamoto skated in the second-to-last position, according to the Olympics’ website, and Sakamoto’s fatal mistake came during a triple combo.
She finished in second place, 1.91 points behind Liu and 5.74 points clear of teammate Ami Nakai in third.
“I only felt regret,” Sakamoto said, per Olympics.com. “I can’t really say. I don’t remember what happened in between elements. I have to look back on it and see.
“I wasn’t that nervous. But … I guess this is how my story ends. It hurts, I have to admit
“I’ve come this far and I couldn’t get it done. The frustration is unbearable. I felt like the bronze medal last time was a miracle, and I’m wearing a better medal around my neck yet I’m frustrated — which probably says a lot about all the work I put in the last four years.
“And for that, I just want to give myself a pat on the back.”
Glenn, the 26-year-old American star, experienced similar pain during the previous short program when mistakes saddled her with a 67.39 score that dropped her to 13th place.
She responded with a 147.52 score Thursday to finish in fifth.
“I just thought, ‘I’m going to do what I do best, which is enjoy skating,’” Glenn said, “and that’s what I did today.”
