Amber Glenn’s Olympic gold at Milano Cortina Winter Olympics overshadowed by music copyright dispute

American figure skater Amber Glenn celebrated a major moment at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics after helping the United States win the team event gold medal. However, the same day also brought fresh controversy.

Soon after the event, Canadian artist Seb McKinnon publicly objected to Glenn using his song The Return in her free skate program. The track had been part of her routine for nearly two years, but the artist claimed he had never granted permission.The situation became more complicated because Glenn had already stepped away from social media following criticism over her political remarks and LGBTQ+ comments before the Games.

The copyright complaint created another challenge for the skater and her federation. Music permission in figure skating often involves multiple owners, labels, and licensing agencies. As a result, determining who approves a song can be confusing and sometimes leads to disputes during major international competitions.

Music rights dispute adds to Milano Cortina Winter Olympics controversy

Seb McKinnon wrote online that he had just discovered an Olympic athlete used his music worldwide without his approval and questioned whether such usage was normal practice at the Games.

He later explained his contract allows only him to authorize licensing of his work.

Amber Glenn did not respond immediately, and U.S. Figure Skating also did not comment on the claims. The approval process for skating music is complex. Sometimes record labels hold the rights, and other times the performer or composer controls them. Skaters also edit and combine music pieces, while companies like ClicknClear attempt to help manage permissions.The issue came as Glenn faced online threats after speaking about the political climate and LGBTQ+ rights. She expressed disappointment, saying she had never experienced so many hostile messages simply for expressing support for human rights and kindness, and that the reaction reduced her excitement at the Olympics.Music licensing became a bigger concern after 2014, when figure skating allowed vocals. Earlier programs used mostly classical music in the public domain.

Similar disputes appeared at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and pushed the International Skating Union to improve procedures.Glenn previously suggested the conflicts feel driven by financial motives and said skaters depend heavily on music for their sport. U.S. Figure Skating officials said they try to help athletes avoid copyright issues, though their role in this case is unclear.Some within skating supported Glenn. Retired Olympian Meagan Duhamel noted she would feel honored if an athlete performed to her music and recalled an artist attending the Olympics to watch her skate live. Fellow teammate Alysa Liu also emphasized that music is essential to figure skating’s identity.