A weekly video wrap-up of the week in LGBTQ sports is the newest feature from the Sports Equality Foundation’s new TikTok initiative. Former college lacrosse player Sam Knollmeyer is the host of this look back at the week that was.
In his debut episode, he highlights the silver-medal-winning performance of Team USA out figure skater Amber Glenn.
The bisexual/pansexual athlete, who came out to Dallas Voice in December 2019, was the junior national champion in 2014. On Jan. 15, Glenn won silver in the senior nationals for her free skate to “Rain in Your Black Eyes,” an original song by Ezio Bosso, musically reimagined and choreographed by Misha Ge, according to Dallas Voice.
After missing the triple axel in the short program on the 14th and landing in 5th place. the Voice reports Glenn, 21, roared back in the free skate with two triple-triple combinations.
Unfortunately, despite winning silver, Glenn did not make the U.S. world team but was named first alternate. Bradie Tennell and Karen Chen will represent the United States in the women’s competition at the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships, scheduled for March 22-28 in Stockholm, according to NBC Sports.
This is the first time since 2008 that the selected women’s world team did not follow nationals results for age-eligible skaters in a non-Olympic year. Katrina Hacker was bypassed in favor of 2006 World champion Kimmie Meissner in 2008. In 2020, Chen outscored Glenn at this season’s Skate America, as well as the 2020 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and 2020 U.S. Championships, according to NBC.
Glenn trains at the Children’s Health StarCenter/Euless under the tutelage of Peter and Darlene Cain, according to the Voice.
Also mentioned in Knollmeyer’s round-up, Glenn’s fellow queer skater Timothy LeDuc and his partner Ashley Cain took home the bronze medal in the Nationals Pairs competition on Jan. 16. Knollmeyer also spotlighted the NCAA awarding college basketball standout Kena Gilmour as the inaugural LGBTQ Division III Athlete of the Year, and the coming out story of gay rugby player Devin Ibanez.
Knollmeyer told Outsports he’ll be posting a new video wrap-up every Saturday night.
Watch the video here and follow @sportsequalityfdn on TikTok.