In 1983, Bowman won the World Junior Championships and the U.S. national junior title. Bowman withdrew from the 1986 U.S. Championships after finishing second in the short program; he had a separation between his right tibia and fibula. The following season, he took the silver medal at U.S. nationals and was assigned to his first senior World Championships, finishing 7th. In 1988, Bowman won the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships and was sent to his first Olympics, where he finished 7th. He then placed 5th at the 1988 World Championships. Bowman's left shin was cut in an accident with another skater in December 1988. He won his first senior U.S. national title in 1989. He then won his first World medal, silver, at the 1989 World Championships. Bowman withdrew from the 1990 U.S. Championships but received a berth to the 1990 World Championships where he took the bronze medal. After the event, he parted ways with Frank Carroll, who had coached him for eighteen years. Toller Cranston and Ellen Burka were his next coaches, followed by John Nicks. Bowman won his second national title in 1992. He was sent to his second Olympics and placed 4th. In Inside Edge by Christine Brennan, Bowman admitted to having had a $950 a daycocaine habit during his eligible career, and that he had checked into the Betty Ford Center before the 1988 Olympic Games. Cranston also later described Bowman's drug problems in his book Zero Tollerance. He was known as "Bowman the Showman" for his crowd-pleasing performances. Brian Boitano, the 1988 Olympic champion, told the Chicago Tribune: "If I had to pick the three most talented skaters of all time, I would pick Christopher as one. He had natural charisma, natural athleticism, he could turn on a crowd in a matter of seconds and he always seemed so relaxed about it." Bowman retired from competitive skating after the 1992 World Championships and toured with Ice Capades the following year. He left the tour in 1993 when Dorothy Hamill purchased Ice Capades. For some years thereafter, Bowman worked as a skating coach, first in Massachusetts and then in the Detroit area, where he lived from 1995 until 2007, and as a skating commentator. Prior to his death, he had returned to southern California to make a comeback in acting, with a role as an assistant coach in Down and Distance.
Bowman was divorced from skating coach Annette Bowman Jasinkiewicz with whom he had a daughter, Bianca. Bowman was pronounced dead on January 10, 2008, at 12:06 p.m. after being found in a motel in the North Hills area of Los Angeles. He was 40 years old. The Los Angeles County Coroner determined that Bowman died from an accidental drug overdose containing alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and prescription drugs.
