Copyright concerns tied to the use of pop music became a major talking point in figure skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Even with support from pop star Madonna, U.S. skater Amber Glenn finished 13th in the women’s short program.
Glenn scored 67.39 points in the women’s singles short program on Feb. 18 (Korean time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy, placing 13th.
Glenn chose Madonna’s hit “Like a Prayer” for her short program this season and had worried about copyright issues. Before the competition, Madonna sent Glenn a video message granting permission and offering encouragement, saying, “You can use this song. I hope you win the gold medal.”
But Glenn made a costly mistake late in her program, turning a planned triple loop into a double. She received zero points for the element and cried after finishing.
Music-rights disputes have surfaced repeatedly in Olympic figure skating beyond Glenn’s case.
Glenn also faced an objection on social media from the creator of her free-skating music, “The Return,” and resolved the issue through contact just before the team event.
In men’s singles, Spain’s Guarino Sabate ran into opposition from distributor Universal Pictures over his short-program music from the “Minions” soundtrack, but secured approval shortly before the competition.
The International Skating Union said it is working with major record labels to help athletes use music without copyright problems.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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