US figure skater Amber Glenn resolves Winter Olympics music dispute with Canadian artist | Winter Olympics 2026

American figure skater Amber Glenn said Tuesday she has resolved her copyright issues with Canadian artist Seb McKinnon after the musician expressed surprise that one of her songs appeared in his Olympic free skating program, ending a brief dispute that highlighted the growing complexity of music rights in figure skating.

McKinnon, who releases music under the name CLANN, posted on social media after Glenn performed his track The Return during the Olympic team event, wondering if the music had been deleted. He then congratulated Glenn on his team gold medal, and both sides have since described the episode as a misunderstanding rather than a conflict.

“The issue of music rights can be complex and confusing, and it appears there was a problem somewhere in this process,” Glenn said in a statement. “I’m glad we were able to clear things up and I’m excited about the possibility of collaborating with Seb in the future.”

Glenn starred in The Return for about two seasons without prior objection. It remains unclear where the outage occurred, although skaters typically rely on federations, event organizers and permitting processes recommended by the sport’s governing bodies to obtain clearances.

The episode reflects a broader trend in figure skating, where athletes are increasingly facing last-minute licensing complications as the sport shifts toward contemporary music. Spanish skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté faced a similar scare last week when music from the Minions franchise used in his short program was not initially cleared for Olympic competition. After public pressure from fans and direct outreach, Universal Studios ultimately granted permission, allowing him to maintain a routine he had built over months of competition.

Officials say the challenge comes from structural gaps in the music industry, where rights are often split across multiple holders and platforms, complicating clearance in global broadcast and streaming markets.

For Glenn, the copyright episode unfolded during the Olympics where she also became an unexpected focal point off the ice. The three-time US champion has spoken openly about LGBTQ+ rights and said she had removed herself from social media after receiving what she described as a “scary amount” of hate messages and threats following pre-Games comments about the pressures facing queer communities in the current US political climate.

Although she called the reaction “disappointing,” she continued to skate with visible LGBTQ+ symbols on her team’s equipment and said she saw her platform as part of the responsibility that comes with Olympic visibility.

Glenn is next expected to compete in the women’s singles event, starting with the short program on February 17, where she said she always focuses on performance rather than controversy.