A Bradford teenager is hoping to be cool as ice when he competes at an international figure skating competition later this month.

Daniel King will be a member of the Great Britain team which takes part in the Dragon Trophy in Slovenia.

The 14-year-old is getting used to

competing at high levels these days. Over the past two years the youngster has won national and international honours for his skating.

In the past three years he has taken top honours at the British championships and has come first in two

separate contests in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Wibsey youngster has become so successful at the niche sport that he has stopped going to school and is being educated at home, in order to devote more time to his training.

He is one of only two boys on the Great Britain development squad and is a member of the Olympic Association's silver passport scheme, which seeks to nurture young athletes with potential.

"I started off just going skating with my brother but I got really into it," said Daniel.

"I hope to compete professionally when I have finished school. I am still very young but my dream is to become world champion or Olympic champion - or both."

In order to stay in peak condition for those dangerous pirouettes and jumps, Daniel follows a very strict training programme.

"I train four mornings and three afternoons a week, so I can't fit into a normal school timetable," said the exciting prospect.

Daniel trains at Bradford Ice Rink on Little Horton Lane and is trained by coaches Uri Brekhov and Susan Hughes, as well as doing off-ice fitness training with Alisa Brekhova. Each training session lasts around one and half hours.

Daniel has taken his impressive achievements so far very much in his stride.

He modestly passes off the daring jumps and leaps he performs on the ice as just something that "you get used to" and says he is looking forward to

heading to Slovenia for his next big test.

"I am confident about going to Slovenia," he said.

"I have won the last two international tournaments I have competed in but this time there could be new entrants I have not faced before. Entrants come from all over the world for this one.

"Skating takes up so much of my life. It is not a hobby, it's almost like my job."