Christopher Bowman (USA) - 1992 Albertville, Men's Free Skate

Albertville, FRANCE - 1992 Winter Games, Figure Skating, Men's Free Skate - Christopher Bowman moved up from 7th to 4th Place overall.

[@shimmeringfairydust3275]

What is so sad is the year he died the U.S.F.A. did NOTHING at the U.S. Championships to commiserate his passing. NOTHING. He won like, what, 3 U.S. Championships? And at least one world medal? One of the most gifted skaters of all time & he was just thrown away like yesterday's lunch by the U.S.F.A. I don't care that his early aptitude was never realized because of drugs and other factors - this man was a champion & should have been recognized as such. Disgraceful. Even the Heisman let OJ keep his trophy.

[@tyboogie1982]

Well said.

[@EEDiazL]

+Elaine Snow Christopher Bowman won Nationals in 1989 and 1992. Silver and Bronze at Worlds in '89 and '90. No one threw away Bowman like yesterday's lunch but Bowman himself. A champion that was an addict and perhaps refused help! After his time in Amateur was over in 1992, he was hired as a commentator for the '97/'98 season for USFSA. As well, he had a successful run in shows starting in 1993 probably until 1995 or so. A sports organization is to promote sports and make athletes, not to be looking over the shoulder of grown men that make their own decisions! Out of the mouth of one of his trainers, Toller Cranston: Chris would go out to buy a carton of milk and disappear for 3 days!!! What was he doing, milking a cow?! Or the: When Chris moved in with me for his training, there were prostitutes and drug dealers knocking on my door 24-hrs a day!!! let me see; they were probably looking for moral support, right?! And what does OJ keeping a trophy has to see with anything here? The only athlete in USFSA to have been stripped of a title is Tonya Harding. By the way, have you read the story that when Bowman went to The Olympics in Calgary in 1988 he was fresh out of The Betty Ford Clinic for his drug addiction? At the same time having a cocaine habit of $500 a day? Do you know how much money $500 a day was in 1988?

[@shimmeringfairydust3275]

+Incredible Mann yeah, I know all about Chris & his problems. Guy was bipolar. He was also among the most naturally gifted skaters ever. Certainly he was culpable in his demise - but that doesn't mean he shouldn't have been acknowledge upon his passing.

[@EEDiazL]

Elaine Snow For what I saw in some cuts, quite a few of his fellow skaters and coaches gave eulogies at his funeral. I think it is more important to be remembered by the public than just to have a 5-minute ceremony by an institution. More important than his skating is his legacy of what not to do and specifically to seek the help that one needs in order to have the peace and success one is always striving to find.

[@shimmeringfairydust3275]

+Incredible Mann true but sometimes that's what happens when you are born with natural gifts - you find you don't have to work at some things as hard as others and look for diversions. It is why most great coaches were not necessarily the top athletes of their day. Sometimes it ends in true tragedy - Bill Johnson with his aerodynamic gifts that automatically gave him advantages no other skier could match, did end up Olympic champion. But his post Olympic triumphs were faced with tragedy, resulting in an early death. Debi Thomas, the most successful black skater ever, now lives in poverty - this despite a Stanford medical degree. Some can handle success, some can't. Katerina Witt on the other hand was absolutely centered on what she wanted to do, and great success followed. I am glad many of Chris' contemporaries had good words to say about him - too bad we will never know the answer to "what if."

[@mikeg8375]

The smiles he showed the camera at around 5:26 made me tear up remembering that he is no longer with us. RIP Bowman the Showman

[@faeryquene]

I'll always be a huge fan. You were one of the great ones and you didn't need an Olympic medal to prove it. RIP Christopher.

[@blpalv15]

Quite possible the greatest natural talent in skating, along with Nicole Bobek. Artistry, athleticism, charisma, good looks, the total package. Christopher, while amazingly talented, lacked discipline. He went through so many coaches. His was a sad situation. I had such a crush on him. I thought when he got married and had a daughter that it would change, but years of drug abuse did him in, like Chris Penn. I thought Kurt Browning was classy in his comments saying that when he first saw Bowman skate, he never thought he would beat him.

[@smoothALOE]

I couldn’t have summed it up any better. He had the potential to be the next Brian Boitano. Even he thought Bowman was the best FS athlete he ever saw. The fact that someone as great as Kurt Browning would say that is a real testament to just how good he could’ve been.

[@lilbatz]

Both him and Bobek could light up an arena.

[@evixir]

Such a fantastic performance. So much natural talent, he didn't seem to know what to do with it all. RIP, Chris, you were one of the great ones.

[@vickenator]

Nine years later and I'm watching it again! One of his most memorable performances.

[@vickenator]

BACK AGAIN FOR MORE THREE YEARS LATER! He was so wonderful to watch.

[@itscrochetday1444]

I hope he is watching us from heaven..... those of us who remember him in his glory or new viewers who are just discovering his talent....look at our smiles and the joy you bring to our faces even to this day, Bowman the Showman! You are missed.

[@wileecoyote671]

Looking back, this might honestly have been the strongest free skate of the night. I know he botched the 3axel and fall on 3 flip, but he did land 6 clean triples, and all 6 were landed beautifully and very cleanly. He hit a 3/3 combo as well as 3sal/2loop. 3 lutz and 3 loop were gorgeous. 2nd 3toe effortless. He was tired by the end, but not like viktor or barna. He still performed til the very last note. Wylie landed 4 clean triples (5 if you count the turnout of 2nd 3axel) but many landings were shaky or tentative. Wylie did have best artistry and most energetic finish. Viktor fizzled after the first 90 seconds with too many botched landings, popped jumps and he looked completely winded with 90 seconds left. Browning was a disaster. Yeah, Id say Bowman looked the most competent and pleasing to the eye overall. If he had skated last, he could have won the free skate.

[@mikeg8375]

The lack of a triple axel is what hurt him. Between that, the fall at the end, and the fact he skated before the final group all gave the judges an excuse to be harsh.

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

Christopher Bowman had his personal demons. He will always be remembered as the charming, carefree, beautiful and very talented one of a kind skater. He was a champion in our hearts.

[@intldawn]

I can't help but be sad when I watch him. Bowman the showman. One of the very best nicknames in sports. He was just so good but proof that event he best of talent can be undermined by a lack of discipline and focus. But he was irresistible to watch when he was on. RIP.

[@galileocan]

A beautiful skater with incredible form and complete connection with his audience.

[@mht4908]

I would've placed him 2nd and Paul Wylie 1st in the free skate

[@mitzimcewan9124]

I always loved him

[@metsdudenj]

I wonder if he had hit a perfect program if he could have gotten bronze, prob not

[@blpalv15]

No, they even said with his 7th place finish in the short program, he was out of contention for a medal. He did finish fourth though, which was good.

[@mikeg8375]

Well, if he had won the free skate and pushed Barna to 4th in the free, he would have been tied with Wylie with 4.5 and beat him because of his higher free skate placement, which would have given him silver. If he had finished second in the free with Petrenko first and Wylie 3rd, he would have needed Stojko to finish ahead of Barna and i think he would have won bronze. The only problem with those scenarios is back in those days it was extremely rare and unheard of for a skater not in the final group to win the long program. If you look at his marks here after watching everyone else, they probably deserved to be a bit higher but with all the Heavy Hitters left to go they had to leave room....Realistically for the judges to have him second or first in the long I think he would have needed to be in the final group, although you never know with the way Christopher could deliver when at his best...

[@mht4908]

He would've had to place 2nd in the free skate in order to get the bronze

[@smoothALOE]

If he had either landed the 3Axel or done the 3Lutz, instead, for the OP, he definitely would’ve won a medal with this performance. Everyone was falling that day, basically, so there was room for error.

[@mhughes72]

Christopher, I remember what you meant to us all. The job is almost complete.