Paul Wylie LP 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games

Paul Wylie

[@jarwillnc]

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

[@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.

[@lauramartha3]

I remember watching this when I was very young and getting goosebumps because Paul's skating was so musical and had such artistry and passion. Fortunately, he went on to have a very successful 'professional' career and created some truly memorable programs.

[@eileenspartypainting]

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

[@sdbehrendt]

One of the great Olympic moments.

[@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.

[@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.

[@tyronebranch2946]

He should've been the olympic champion HANDS DOWN!

[@stacey78412]

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

[@bassethound1]

I still think this was the gold medal performance.

[@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

[@jsabrina01]

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

[@Renee1952]

His skating just gives me chills. So wonderful.

[@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!

[@cbgflygirl]

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

[@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.

[@safehaven11]

Paul gave the magic to Albertville. What a skater!

[@solea84]

What a beautiful skater. Great music choice too.

[@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.

[@jenniferbobic8005]

Paul was certainly a victim of the long-time skating practice of rewarding skaters for the totality of their performances rather than judging them solely on the performance they were doing at that moment. While I have some issues with the newer judging system, I do think that it has stopped some of that and made it somewhat more objective (it’s never going to be completely so). Having said that, I know that Paul was thrilled to have skated so well at the Olympics, and this set him up for a brilliant professional career. We should probably enjoy figure skating while we can as I predict that by the next Olympics the IOC will allow transgender athletes who have not undergone sex reassignment surgery to skate with the sex of their choice. This is particularly going to affect ladies’ competitions, as transgender males can be in the women’s competition and few women will be able to compete with them given that men’s height and muscular strength allows them to pull off these quad jumps more easily. Well, it should be an interesting ride, but I miss skaters like Paul who concentrated just as much on the quality of edges, spins, etc. and not just on jumping.

[@cutelilpooky]

A great performance! Thanks for uploading this.

[@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.

[@veryviralvideo]

looks like gold to me!

[@speedo1105]

i'm working a bit with paul here in lake placid with his swimming. this performance was a delight for me to watch knowing i see him regularly and we get to talk about our athletic pursuits. mind you i'm 80, he 's 50+ . he's still a competitor and likes to do his swim work fast!! he knows i teach and coach from a slower approach. sometimes her listens , sometimes not. a very cordial and down to earth man.

[@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! :)

[@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...:)

[@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.

[@joemachunda]

The music, choreography and beautiful inspired skate by Wylie . Gold performance

[@edmundgeswein]

Those scores were all over the place. He did jump series not pulling off true combos, but I do not think Viktor's two combos made up for the rest of his routine. Paul really one.

[@angied868]

PAUL WYLIE YOU ROCK! YOUR AWSOME! :D

[@teddyjo26]

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

[@mrsmulroney2]

Thanks for posting this video! He was fabulous!

[@rickram1961]

Paul was certainly robbed of the Gold Medal!

[@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

[@mt1fulfilled921]

What an amazing performance! His line is superior and his musicality unsurpassed. Bravo! 👏

[@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.

[@FigureNastics]

So committed to the music! Such lovely extension as well, which being shorter is something he really focused on. In my opinion, his attention to the 2nd mark is what lead him to the Olympic podium!

[@safehaven11]

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

[@angiemaniaciskatingfan723]

That was due to his past finishes no higher than 9th at the worlds.

[@3Axel1996]

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

[@princepeterwolf]

He's my new hero

[@sandih29687]

Remember the next day, went to a local dog show and everyone was talking about how Paul had been robbed. He floats across the ice!!

[@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.

[@Zuranthium]

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

[@sgsmozart]

Spoiled my chattering commentators....there is the same video posted by Japan...with no commentary..and unbelievable high video quality!

[@mikeg4576]

Should have won the gold. His mistakes were less glaring and took less away from his program than those of Petrenko. He should have gotten 5.9 from every judge for artistic impression.

[@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.

[@tabithasabella5212]

Paul, you were fantastic. Screw the stupid judges

[@barkingtree88]

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

[@derrickvaillancourt4431]

The reason he made the team in the first place was due to his reputation though. Mitchell clearly should have beaten him at Nationals.

[@bibi24]

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

[@bibi24]

wow Orser sitting beside Boitano :P

[@pellebravesskylar]

Petrenko was dreadful. Just awful. Worst gold medal-winning performance EVER. Paul was robbed. Evy Scotfold should have been placed higher than Viktor. Ditto Mary.

[@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.