Daniel Marklund (33) will line up in the figure skating competition at the New Zealand Masters Games which begin tomorrow in Dunedin.
Marklund hails from the Swedish city of Malmo and is believed to have travelled the furthest for the Games. He is a student, completing a degree in Russian and used to coach more than 50 skaters but has given that up to concentrate on performing again.
He will line up this weekend hoping to win but just as much to catch up with old friends. He will partner Dunedin woman Sue Hoseit in the skating pairs after the two met at a competition in France in 2012.
"We became good mates and we go to a big championships in Oberstdorf, in southern Germany. They have more than 600 skaters there each year and it is great fun," he said.
He will fly to Melbourne for another skating event next weekend.
He said skating was great fun, although his body was getting a tad old. He used to be able to do triple spins but now had switched to double spins.
Skating had great camaraderie, he said.
"You see in the big events, the skaters sitting waiting for the scores on their own. Here in the events, everyone surrounds you when waiting for the score and everyone is happy and pleased for you."
The figure skating features competitors from New Zealand, Germany, United States, Great Britain, Sweden and Australia.
