After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991, athletes from former Soviet states went to the Olympics together for the last time in 1992 on a Unified Team. Petrenko competed for this Unified Team and with a free skate that was ranked above American Paul Wylie's by seven of the nine judges, he won the gold medal, the first ever for a singles skater from the former Soviet Union. His skate was not his best, and some contested his win, but the triple axel-triple toe in both programs kept him over both Wylie and European Champion Petr Barna, in spite of the mistakes. A month later he went to the 1992 World Championships and won the gold medal there, as well, earning two 6.0's for presentation in his free program and receiving first-place ranking from all nine judges. In doing so he finally defeated his arch nemesis Kurt Browning who took silver (after being a disappointing 6th in Albertville). He used the same free program for the 3rd straight year, the polish and familiarity showing in the artistic strength of the program.