At the 1988 Olympics, he was part of the "Battle of the Brians". He and American Brian Boitano were both favorites to win the competition. Boitano won it in a very close call over Orser.
æ t WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY n aɪ n t iː n h ʌ n d ɹ ɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY eɪ t i WORD_BOUNDARY eɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY ə l ɪ m p ɪ k s WORD_BOUNDARY h iː WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ z WORD_BOUNDARY p ɑ ɹ t WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY b æ t ə l WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY b ɹ aɪ ə n z WORD_BOUNDARY h iː WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ m ɛ ɹ ɪ k ə n WORD_BOUNDARY b ɹ aɪ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY b ɔɪ t ɑ n oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY w ɜː WORD_BOUNDARY b oʊ θ WORD_BOUNDARY f eɪ v ə ɹ ɹ ɪ t s WORD_BOUNDARY t ə WORD_BOUNDARY w ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY k ɑ m p ə t ɪ ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY b ɔɪ t ɑ n oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ WORD_BOUNDARY v ɛ ɹ i WORD_BOUNDARY k l oʊ s WORD_BOUNDARY k ɔ l WORD_BOUNDARY oʊ v ə ɹ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ ɹ s ə ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY