TOWNSVILLE-BRED ice skater Daniel Harries will return to Australian colours at an international competition in Canada this month.

Harries, 20, won selection for the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Hamilton from January 18 by finishing in second place in the senior men's event at national titles in Brisbane last month.

The Four Continents Championships will feature skaters from North America, South America, Africa and the Asia Pacific region.

Former national junior champion Harries last represented Australia in 2002 at the World Junior Championships in Norway and Four Continents Championships in Korea, finishing 16th in both competitions.

Brisbane-based Harries said he had been delighted with his performance at the national titles, having spent most of the year off the ice.

"I pretty much had eight months off and only really started training again in September," Harries said. "I'd been skating since I was nine and I'd just started university and I'd just had enough for a while."

Harries led his four rivals after the short program (two minutes, 40 seconds) before being overtaken by New South Wales rival Bradley Santer in the long program (four minutes, 30 seconds).

"They were both new programs and getting through the long program is always hard and I hadn't been skating all year," Harries said.

"I didn't go in thinking I would win, I just really wanted to get top three to get to the Four Continents."

Harries - one of a 10-member Australian team for the Four Continents Championships - visited family in Townsville over Christmas before returning to Brisbane on Tuesday to resume training.