At the 1983 World Championships, he became the first skater to ever land all six triple jumps in competition. Indeed, he would eventually include and successfully land eight triple jumps in his free skate program, the maximum number possible (see Zayak rule). He would jump two flip jumps and two triple Axels to compete with his rival, Brian Orser who jumped one triple flip and one triple Axel. It was not until his failure to defend his World title in 1987 that he focused specifically on improving his artistry. Towards this end, he worked with renowned choreographer Sandra Bezic.