US figure skater Amber Glenn was a favourite for gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics – until a harsh rule ended her chances.
Glenn performed well in her short program, hitting a triple Axel and a triple-triple combination. But her final jump, a triple loop, didn’t go as planned.
She mistimed the takeoff and completed only two revolutions. This meant she did a double loop instead of the required triple.
In figure skating, this triggers the “zero-point rule.” The jump is marked as “Not According to Requirements,” giving her no points for that element. Even a perfect double is worth nothing.
The zero-point rule has existed for over 50 years and was designed to push skaters to take risks and maintain high technical standards. It has ended many medal hopes in the past.
Glenn isn’t the only one affected. Canadian skater Madeline Schizas also doubled her triple loop and failed to qualify for the free skate by just 0.15 points.
Glenn will return for the free skate on Thursday. While her medal chances are slim, anything can happen in figure skating.
Currently, Glenn sits 13th after the short program. American teammates Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito are in third and seventh, while Japan’s Ami Nakai leads ahead of Kaori Sakamoto.
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