Paul Wylie LP 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games

[eileenspartypainting]

My parents and family are great friends with him he is really nice

[princepeterwolf]

He's my new hero

[jarwillnc]

Paul's performance and the crowd's response made this a magical Albertville moment for me!

[cbgflygirl]

He so deserved the gold. He was so much better. I counted 2 mistakes by Paul and 5 by Viktor.

[serenakicksass]

@cbgflygirl and 0 for Stojko, 2 for Slipchuk (one on a quad try), 2 for Barna (one on a quad try).  OK lets just award medals based on mistakes then Stojko wins gold, Barna silver, Slipchuk bronze. No medal for Paul or Viktor, happy now.

[cleverkittn]

absolutely amazing and perpetually underrated...this is one of my favorite performances and one of the few male skaters to be able to combine power and artistry with masculinity. I recall seeing it live and knowing then it was something magical.

[Renee1952]

His skating just gives me chills. So wonderful.

[ekmrlib]

Vicktor won because he had a better reputation with the judges since he'd been on the medal stand before. However, the announcer said it right in the medal ceremony Paul was the peoples choice. Although, it would have been nice for him to have that gold knowing the kind of person Paul was he was probably just as thrilled knowing the crown thought he was the best that night.

[safehaven11]

Paul gave the magic to Albertville. What a skater!

[safehaven11]

The best program of the competition. He didn't get the gold maybe because he didn't do any combo jumps like Victor. Paul finished his amateur career with grace and strength and a SILVER MEDAL! Well done!

[Nipponophile01]

Outside any program by Daisuke Takahashi, this is my favourite men's figure skating performance of all time. Lyrical, beautiful, and wonderfully paced, the way it builds to the exciting finish with the three straddle jumps is breathtaking. Much more exciting and interesting than the gold medal routine. He's the real gold medallist in my book

[metsdudenj]

Deserved gold...if he had just hit either that salchow or that final triple lutz. He should have thrown a triple toe loop instead of that salchow. Ugh, but im so pround of him, he has the best line of a male skater ever

[ja3399]

I like Viktor, but his lp was not his best. IMHO (and even my-not-so HO), Paul won this. He had had trouble putting together 2 clean programs, so this was his last chance. He had such flawless technique, he knew how to interpret music, and I can't think of a more deserving person to stand on the Olympic podium. And he did! He went on to have a long professional career, and hopefully got to meet a lot of fans who valued him as much as I do. Silver can be a lovely color....

[rickram1961]

Paul Wylie was robbed of the Gold Medal. Viktor Petrenko's skate was not up to a Gold Medal standard.

[AllThatJJJJazz]

This not the LP. It is the freestyle.

[Zuranthium]

@AllThatJJJJazz The Long Program (LP) and Freeskate (FS) are the same thing, people just use different terms.

[jarwillnc]

As much as I wanted gold for Paul he did not complete an actual combination jump sequence. Still I believe if he had nailed that 2nd triple lutz it could have clinched the gold for him. Despite that it was by far the most exciting skate of the evening. I remember being in tears when the music ended. I couldn't describe how happy I was for Paul.

[fanmo6]

Does someone know the music`s name?

[Pregolegs]

@fanmo6 The first part is the soundtrack from Henry V. Then the organ stuff at the end I'm not sure.

[3Axel1996]

@Pregolegs It's Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony.

[barkingtree88]

The reason why they didn't give him the gold was due to his reputation.

[bassethound1]

I still think this was the gold medal performance.

[Pregolegs]

His lines and edges--wow!!

[teddyjo26]

@Pregolegs I agree, his leg lines are out of this world!

[bibi24]

those step out 3turn 3T's all count as combinations?

[bibi24]

wow Orser sitting beside Boitano :P

[mrsmulroney2]

Thanks for posting this video! He was fabulous!

[buckeyeclayfan]

Thanks for posting this video! This ties with Brian B's olympic skate as my all-time favorite skate. Wow, Paul is so brilliant; it is a thrill to watch this almost 20 years later. He should have won. Still, the grace and sportsmanship he showed in this situation was truly outstanding. What a great Olympic moment!

[solea84]

What a beautiful skater. Great music choice too.

[elenaptrear]

He is the best,! When I think of men's figure skating he is the one that comes to my mind. I love his skating. Inspiring!

[DottieD20]

This program gives me chills every time I watch it, and is the only one of the LP's from that Olympics that I truly remember.

[classicalsteve]

Wylie was (and is) a first-class act. Going in, he was not even favored to be in the top 5 or 6. His teammate, the late Christopher Bowman, was the favorite, who had gotten most of the press coverage and acted like anything less than Gold would be a disappointment. But Wylie went out onto the ice and skated his heart out with absolutely nothing to lose. He picked up the Silver Medal, and came close to Gold. And Wylie was the most gracious athlete at the 1992 Olympics. A true champion.

[ants2876]

I am sorry but on what planet was Bowman the gold medal favorite? He had never won a World title, his career had gone backwards since his 89 World silver, and he had been 5th at the 91 Worlds behind Browning, Petrenko, Eldredge, and Barna. I agree Wylie was not close to a favorite, but Bowman was far from the favorite as well.

[classicalsteve]

My statements are based on a documentary piece I saw shortly after the Winter Olympics about the competition. I may be incorrect that he was favorite for the gold, but he was certainly regarded as the superior to skater to Wylie, and in an interview shortly before the competition he claimed anything less than gold would be a disappointment. The piece did argue he was one of the favorites to achieve either gold or silver while Wylie was not expected to reach the podium at all.

[ants2876]

Well that must have been a U.S documentary which was biased and grossly inflating his chances. I doubt even Bowman himself really believed that and would have been happy and relieved with even a bronze going in. Going in the favorites were in order:

Gold favorites- Browning, Petrenko

Strong contenders- Eldredge, Barna

Other threats- Bowman, Urmanov

Unreliable spoilers- Wylie, Filipowski

Real long shots- Zagorodniuk, Stojko, Slipchuk

[ants2876]

That said I agree Bowman was clearly more favored than Wylie was. Wylie was a huge long shot to even medal going in. Nobody thought he could put it together and even if he did he needed a bunch of others to mess up which is what happened. It was a miracle on ice that ended with silver. Although Bowman wasnt favored going in he probably could have won with his best performances given how it all went. Browning, Eldredge, Barna, Bowman with their best would have won over what Petrenko did.

[evret0503]

The best male artist on ice EVER!!!! :)

[starfins1]

The best. We will always remember his performance. Paul Wylie you are so wonderful!!!! We hope he knows this.

[SAX713]

i blame the czechoslovakian for giving him a low score the routine was great it coulda been gold

[stacey78412]

It makes me happy to see him skate. There's no one around right now who does that.

[IceSkaterChik]

His spiral into triple flip takes my breath away every time. He was the only guy who laid down 2 exciting programs. And I love at 6.35 when says "I might medal" and he has the huge grin. Along with Boitano and Yagudin, this is my fave olympic skate by a male.

[safehaven11]

Those jumps in the air were amazing. Wylie does it better. His music style wonderful. It's so good to see him get a medal at last.

[LuKasAV6]

Paul said exactly what I said at 6:05 . "Oh my gawd! CZECHOSLOVAKIA!" (Of course I added a few more words that Paul would dare not utter.)

Anyway, Paul will forever be one of my favorite skaters.

[DellaSper]

Whatever. Wylie deserved GOLD based on performance. He didn't have the celebrity Petrenko and Barna had. Barna's routines lacked artistry and he wrecked his chances on a fall (not to mention he played it too conservatively). Wylie got hosed.

[angied868]

PAUL WYLIE YOU ROCK! YOUR AWSOME! :D

[ants2876]

ROTFL at the crying that Wylie didnt win the gold medal. Wylie was in fact the luckiest skater there was. First of all he shoudlnt have even been at the Olympics. His spot there was a collasal GIFT as Mitchell completely outskated him at Nationals. So he should thank his lucky stars his career didnt end altogether at Nationals. As for here he should thank Petrenko, Browning, Barna, Bowman, Eldredge for all faltering otherwise he isnt near the podium.

[Vydio]

I have never seen Paul Wylie ever appear less than gracious and thrilled with his silver medal. So we gave Wylie a gift? Well it nice to see a gift sometimes gives back.

[galveston]

@ants2876

Oh shut up

[buchananbji]

Paul is my favorite male skater because he is a technician AND more so, an artist. I think about his JFK performance and ... wow! Yeah for Paul! We love you.

[safehaven11]

Paul Wylie- why didn't he get to go to worlds?  He's a great skater.

[ft192]

He was not sent to the worlds that year becuase he was not assigned to the team. Mark Mitchell was given that spot. That decision was made at the US nationals that year.

[wlhardy]

I remember watching this in 1992 & thinking he was robbed--all the other skaters fall, he's still standing and doesn't get the Gold Medal? Guess there's more to judging than I thought.

[julietgeldi]

I agree. HIS was the performance of the evening. 17 years later, and it's his performance I'm watching, not Victor Petrenko's. If only he had just done that last triple lutz ...

[caseyphx]

exactly what i was thinking. he would've had it with that lutz.

[lauraken]

I am sooo teary eyed just watching this GREAT skater...Paul still moves me to this very day...Thank the Lord above for inspirational Ice Skaters like Paul for inspiration! :)

[lodengreeneyes]

Paul outskated Victor and should have been awarded the Gold Medal, but politics and favoritism plays out in figure skating.

[ShamusMacGuffin]

I agree completely. It did not help his case that he didn't have a "legitimate" combination in his program as these commentators said. I think the judges would've forgiven him the mistake on the salchow, but if he had done the lutz and second axel in a direct combination, I think it would've been awfully close, even with the favoritism.

[jsabrina01]

I remember watching this on television and being mesmerized. Thank you so much for posting it so I can see it again!

[lauraken]

I was totally mesmerized too! The beauty of Paul's skating, and the beautiful music combined gave me chills, and inspired me...:) I will always look at this performance, and smile...:)

[cutelilpooky]

A great performance! Thanks for uploading this.

[pellebravesskylar]

Paul was amazing. Even though he didn't win the gold, he had to be proud of himself. Certainly, as an American, I was. I always knew he was a gifted skater and i'm glad he finally showed that to the world. A silver medal was a great reward for his continued belief in himself.

[TheWhatsinaname]

@pellebravesskylar I agree Paul was amazing. I always loved his jump technique when he was on (and for the most part he was on at the 92 Olympics), perfect takeoffs, perfect positions in the air and very nice soft knee landings (the men skaters of today need to learn that technique) and wonderful transitions between the jumps that are lacking today.. I agree jarwillnc, most exciting of men's LP at Albertville.