Amber Glenn’s historic third straight U.S. national title should have been a moment of unqualified celebration. She clinched the title on January 10 at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, becoming the first American woman to three-peat since Michelle Kwan’s dominant run from 1998 to 2005. But NBC’s broadcast failed to acknowledge the significance of the moment, leaving fans understandably frustrated.

The event was covered by NBC’s main broadcast team, consisting of lead analyst and 1998 Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, former U.S. men’s champion Johnny Weir, and play-by-play announcer Terry Gannon. But fans believe they seemingly ignored Kwan in their commentary, despite Glenn matching Kwan’s decades-old record and being the only one to do it since.

One viewer tweeted, “Hey, @NBCSports, is there a rule that Michelle Kwan’s name is not allowed to be mentioned on the broadcast? She is a 9 time US Champ and this is the women’s event. Foreign commentators mention her.”

Some fans believe the snub was a continuation of sorts of the fierce rivalry between Kwan and Lipinski when the two were competing in the late nineties. It was yet another grievance among fans, who had been voicing their complaints about Lipinski and Weir’s commentary all week long on social media.

The championship also carried Olympic weight, serving as the final major qualifying event before U.S. Olympic selections were finalized. Glenn backed up her thrilling short program with a fearless free skate, opening with her signature triple Axel and skating nearly clean the rest of the way. She finished with a combined score of 233.55 points, ahead of reigning world champion Alysa Liu (228.91) and teenager Isabeau Levito (224.45). All three are widely expected to be named to the U.S. Olympic team.

“I’m just so grateful. That was terrifying,” Glenn said afterward, seated alongside Liu and Levito. “I had to skate after these two incredible ladies brought the house down, so I’m glad that I didn’t disappoint too much.”

For many, Kwan’s omission felt pointed, like a missed opportunity to honor a true icon of the sport. And soon after, social media was filled with reactions from disappointed figure skating fans.

Figure skating fans are outraged at Michelle Kwan’s perceived snub

One fan expressed frustration on social media: “Like seriously, NBC? It is embarrassing. People still associate Michelle Kwan with figure skating. Everyone knows her name… the erasure makes no sense.”

Another added, “TL wil always be jealous and envious of the Artist Known as MK. 1995-2005..the most exquisite and beautiful skater of all time. TL has the Olympics gold but she does not have the adoration, admiration, respect and LOVE that MK has and that will always irritate and bother her.💐⛸️”

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Some fans thought that omitting Kwan’s name during the broadcast may not have been accidental. The feud between Lipinski and Kwan was, after all, notoriously bitter in the late 1990s. Their rivalry was full-blown at the 1997 U.S. Championships, when a 14-year-old Lipinski upset Kwan, the defending champion, to take the national crown

The figure skating rivalry boiled over at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where Kwan was in first place following the short program, but Lipinski skated the most technically challenging free skate ever at the time to win Olympic gold, and Kwan took silver. To this date, debates rage whether Lipinski’s superior technicality deserved to put her ahead of Kwan’s unmatched artistry and skating skills.

One more fan added, “You know why they don’t. It’s the same reason why they became to obsessed with the ‘gold medal club’ in US FS. Only way they can exclude the actual most successful US skater of all time.” Another added, “Because Tara can’t bear when other past champions get mentioned. Michelle Kwan is still the greatest American skater of all time.”

Lipinski’s Olympic record includes one gold medal, while Kwan earned two Olympic medals, silver at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

The contrast in their career achievements also shows why Kwan remains so revered. Michelle Kwan won nine U.S. national titles, the joint most of any woman in U.S. history, and claimed five World Championship titles, in career that spanned over a decade.

Lipinski, meanwhile, had a much shorter career, only skating competitively for five years, though she made history as the youngest women’s World Champion in 1997. For many viewers, this context explains their disappointment with NBC.

Yet some fans pointed out that Lipinski has always shown respect for Kwan. One noted, “They did mention her last night. I was shocked. Terry asked who they were most intimidated to compete with at first nationals. Tara said Michelle.”

Over the years, Lipinski has publicly acknowledged Kwan’s influence on her career. She once said, “She [Kwan] pushed me and made me a better skater… I realized that we have this special bond… I have this deep, deep respect for her and her talent.”

Whether NBC’s omission of Kwan’s name was an oversight or intentional is unclear. With no explanations issued as to why the broadcast failed to mention a figure skater widely regarded as the most successful in U.S. history, all fans can do is speculate.