Two Olympic figure skaters found their love for the ice in the state of Texas originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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With the 2026 Winter Olympics taking the world’s stage, the figure skating competition has entered the picture as of last Friday. Competing for Team USA are two southern figure skaters representing their country after being raised in the Lone Star State.
Texas-born figure skaters Amber Glenn and Emily Chan take center ice at 2026 Winter Olympics
Plano native Amber Glenn is making the most of her first Olympic appearance, helping Team USA win gold in the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan. Glenn skated in the women’s free skate portion of the team competition, delivering a performance that contributed key points toward the United States’ first gold in the event and its first Olympic medal in women’s figure skating since 2006.
Off the ice, Glenn has become one of figure skating’s most visible advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion. The Collin College and Plano Senior High School alum came out as both bisexual and pansexual in 2019 and has since used her platform to speak about visibility, acceptance and mental health for queer athletes.
Four hours south of Plano, you’ll find Pasadena, Texas, the hometown of the Milano Cortina 2026 qualifier, Emily Chan. While Chan was born in Pasadena, she began her ice skating journey in McKinney, Texas. Chan is skating in the pairs category with her long-time competition partner, Spencer Akira Howe.
Graduating as valedictorian from Texas Online Preparatory School, Chan has a complex background in the sport, having competed as a singles skater in the past, during which she claimed the 2016 U.S. Junior Championship title.
As Chan and Howe make their Olympic debut this year, they have organized a GoFundMe to cover the costs of their training, travel, and coaching while competing in Italy.
The next Olympic figure skating pairs event will take place on Feb. 15 and 16, where Team USA fans can hope to see this Texas native take on the ice alongside her partner.
