By Michelle Pickles
Over the next few weeks some of the best skaters on four wheels will converge on Auckland for the World Roller Figure Skating Championships. It's the first time the competition has been held here for 25 years.
One of New Zealand’s top skaters, Sarah-Jane Jones, is hoping to make the home crowd count.
She's competed at 12 World Championships, and now Jones is looking forward to skating her 13th in front of a home crowd for the first time.
“It’s going to be amazing having everyone cheering for me from the home country. I’m sure it will be super loud and crazy and it’s just going to get me so amped and excited to skate.”
Jones is New Zealand's most successful skater, with three World Championship bronze medals. She's the current Oceania champion and has won every national event she's competed in since 1998.
The 25-year-old says much of her success comes from watching the international skaters.
“When I come away from Worlds I just want to be the best. I want to take everything that the best skaters put onto the floor and put as much of that into my own skating as possible.”
Now the world’s best are coming to New Zealand for the first time since 1987.
“Skating isn't really very big in New Zealand,” says Jones. “It’s not really heard of. But overseas there are national celebrities as roller skaters and they are just so amazing. Their techniques and the free-pairs skating, which we don't see in New Zealand, it’s just amazing – breathtaking.”
After 22 years, Jones will lace up her skates for the last time at this year’s Worlds, and she'd like to finish in style.
“I would love to come home with another medal since it’s my last World Champs. It would be the icing on the cake.”
To do it at home would be even sweeter.
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