Paul Wylie
Encyclopedia
Paul Stanton Wylie is an American
figure skater
and 1992 Olympic
silver medalist.
, Texas
, Wylie began skating at the age of three. At age eleven, his family moved to Denver
, Colorado
, where he began to train with Carlo Fassi
. Wylie remained with Fassi for nine years, first in Denver and later in Colorado Springs
when Fassi relocated to the Broadmoor Skating Club
. As a young skater, Wylie additionally worked with John Curry
and Robin Cousins
, who were also students of Fassi. Cousins lived with the Wylie family while he was training for the 1980 Winter Olympics
.
In 1979, Wylie won the novice men's title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and in the 1981 season, he won both the U.S. junior title and the World Junior Championship
. At the latter event, he landed his first triple jumps in competition—two triple toe loops.
At the same time, Wylie was competing in pair skating
with partner Dana Graham. They won the junior pairs title at the 1980 U.S. nationals. They were coached by John Nicks
, commuting to work with him in California. They placed eighth in the senior division at the 1981 U.S. nationals, but then dissolved their partnership when they lost financial sponsorship.
In 1985, wanting to reconstruct some of his technique, Wylie left Fassi and began to train instead with Evy and Mary Scotvold
, who were at that time located in Janesville
, Wisconsin
. Shortly afterwards, they all moved to the Boston area. Wylie attended Harvard University
beginning in 1986. He was a member of the Fox Club, one of eight elite final clubs at the college. He graduated in 1991.
Wylie placed second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
in 1988, 1990, and 1992. He won the silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics
in Albertville, France
. The medal was considered a major upset. Wylie had never finished higher than ninth at the World Figure Skating Championships
four years prior, and had skated such a poor performance at the U.S. Championships immediately prior to the games that reporters questioned his placement on the Olympic team. The USFSA had even left Wylie off the team for the 1992 World Championships, naming Mark Mitchell in his place.
After the Olympics, Wylie joined the professional skating ranks. He won the 1992 U.S. Open Professional Championship and the 1993 World Professional Figure Skating Championships
. Wylie toured with Stars on Ice
from 1992 to 1998 before retiring to attend Harvard Business School
and work in the corporate world. For some time he held a position with The Walt Disney Company
.
In 2004, after leaving Disney, Wylie returned to the ice for twenty two dates with Stars on Ice
. He has also continued his long association with An Evening with Champions
, the annual benefit show at Harvard. Wylie has worked as a sports commentator/analyst, most recently for ESPN
and Universal Sports
.
On August 14, 1999, Wylie married Cape Cod native Kate Presbrey. They have three children, Hannah, Emma and Caleb, and currently reside in Charlotte
, North Carolina
, where Wylie previously worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
as director of the Dare to be a Daniel program.
Wylie is currently in business for himself running a sports-related travel agency and is coaching figure skaters at the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina.
On January 10, 2008, the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame announced that Wylie would be inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame on January 25, 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and 1992 Olympic
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
silver medalist.
Biography
Born in DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Wylie began skating at the age of three. At age eleven, his family moved to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where he began to train with Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi
Carlo Fassi was a well-known Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions.-Career:Fassi was born in Milan....
. Wylie remained with Fassi for nine years, first in Denver and later in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
when Fassi relocated to the Broadmoor Skating Club
Broadmoor Skating Club
The Broadmoor Skating Club is a figure skating club based in Colorado Springs, Colorado that has long been a major training center for the sport of figure skating. Founded in 1939, it was originally known as the Pikes Peak Skating Club, and was based in the Broadmoor World Arena on the grounds of...
. As a young skater, Wylie additionally worked with John Curry
John Curry
John Anthony Curry, OBE was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 Olympic and World Champion. He was famous for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.-Early life:...
and Robin Cousins
Robin Cousins
Robert "Robin" Cousins is a British retired competitive figure skater. He is the 1980 Olympic Champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist and four-time British national champion. He later starred in ice shows and also produced his own...
, who were also students of Fassi. Cousins lived with the Wylie family while he was training for the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
.
In 1979, Wylie won the novice men's title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and in the 1981 season, he won both the U.S. junior title and the World Junior Championship
World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
. At the latter event, he landed his first triple jumps in competition—two triple toe loops.
At the same time, Wylie was competing in pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
with partner Dana Graham. They won the junior pairs title at the 1980 U.S. nationals. They were coached by John Nicks
John Nicks
John Allen Wisden Nicks is a British figure skating coach and former pair skater. His pairs partner was his sister Jennifer Nicks, and together they were the 1953 World Champions...
, commuting to work with him in California. They placed eighth in the senior division at the 1981 U.S. nationals, but then dissolved their partnership when they lost financial sponsorship.
In 1985, wanting to reconstruct some of his technique, Wylie left Fassi and began to train instead with Evy and Mary Scotvold
Mary Scotvold
Mary Batdorf Scotvold is an American figure skating coach, best known for her work with Olympic medalists Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan, whom she co-coached with her husband, Evy Scotvold....
, who were at that time located in Janesville
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Shortly afterwards, they all moved to the Boston area. Wylie attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
beginning in 1986. He was a member of the Fox Club, one of eight elite final clubs at the college. He graduated in 1991.
Wylie placed second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
in 1988, 1990, and 1992. He won the silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in Albertville, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The medal was considered a major upset. Wylie had never finished higher than ninth at the World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
four years prior, and had skated such a poor performance at the U.S. Championships immediately prior to the games that reporters questioned his placement on the Olympic team. The USFSA had even left Wylie off the team for the 1992 World Championships, naming Mark Mitchell in his place.
After the Olympics, Wylie joined the professional skating ranks. He won the 1992 U.S. Open Professional Championship and the 1993 World Professional Figure Skating Championships
World Professional Figure Skating Championships
The World Professional Figure Skating Championships, often referred to as Landover, was an elite made-for-TV figure skating competition. It was created by Dick Button, a 2-time Olympic gold medalist, through his production company Candid Productions. It usually took place in December...
. Wylie toured with Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets...
from 1992 to 1998 before retiring to attend Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
and work in the corporate world. For some time he held a position with The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
.
In 2004, after leaving Disney, Wylie returned to the ice for twenty two dates with Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets...
. He has also continued his long association with An Evening with Champions
An Evening with Champions
An Evening with Champions is an annual benefit figure skating show hosted by Eliot House of Harvard University. The event is a two-day skating show in October, which regularly attracts world-class skaters, thousands of spectators, hundreds of Harvard students, special guests, donors, and of course...
, the annual benefit show at Harvard. Wylie has worked as a sports commentator/analyst, most recently for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and Universal Sports
Universal Sports
Universal Sports is an American television network that airs various sports, primarily those contested in the Olympic Games, including swimming, gymnastics, cycling, track and field, figure skating, skiing, bobsledding and triathlon.-Programming:...
.
On August 14, 1999, Wylie married Cape Cod native Kate Presbrey. They have three children, Hannah, Emma and Caleb, and currently reside in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, where Wylie previously worked with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible...
as director of the Dare to be a Daniel program.
Wylie is currently in business for himself running a sports-related travel agency and is coaching figure skaters at the Extreme Ice Center in Indian Trail, North Carolina.
On January 10, 2008, the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame announced that Wylie would be inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame on January 25, 2008.
Professional competitive highlights
- Ice Wars 1996 (team) 1st
- Battle of the Sexes 1996 (men's team) 1st
- Mike Masters 1996 1st
- Challenge of Champions 1995 1st
- Fall Team Pro-Am (team) 1st, 1st overall
- Ice Wars 1995 (team) 1st
- Miko Masters Paris Championships 1995 1st
- Ice Wars 1994 (team) 1st
- Spring Pro-Am 1994 1st
- World Challenge of Champions 1993 1st
- World Professional Figure Skating Championships 1993 1st
- Fall Pro-Am 3rd 1993 Miko Masters Paris Championships 1993 1st
- World Challenge of Champions 1992 1st
- U.S. Open Professional Championships 1992 1st
- Fall Pro-Am 1992 1st
Results
| Event | 1980-81 | 1981-82 | 1982-83 | 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
10th | 2nd | ||||||||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
9th | 10th | 11th | |||||||||
| U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters... |
11th | 5th | 4th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | |
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
1st | |||||||||||
| Skate Canada International Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
2nd | 3rd | ||||||||||
| Trophée Lalique | 1st | 5th | ||||||||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
5th | 2nd | 4th | |||||||||
| Nations Cup Bofrost Cup on Ice The Bofrost Cup on Ice was a figure skating competition held in Germany between 1986 and 2004. It was part of the Grand Prix series until 2003, when it was replaced by Cup of China. Following being booted out of the Grand Prix series, a new form of competition was introduced to the Bofrost Cup... |
3rd |