FISU mourns death of Universiade gold medalist Denis Ten

Kazakh Figure Skater stabbed to death in Almaty

LAUSANNE – It is with deep sadness that FISU has learnt about the untimely death of FISU Universiade gold medalist Denis Ten, at the age of 25.  A Kazakh figure skater of Korean descent, Ten was a bronze medalist at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games,  silver medalist at the 2013 World Championships and gold medalist at the Almaty 2017 Winter Universiade.

Ten was stabbed to death by two unidentified men in Almaty at 3 p.m. (local time) on 19 July, as the men were reportedly trying to steal his car mirrors. The 5-time national champion was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead a short while later.

“Denis Ten was an incredible figure skater, the legend of our sport, our pride,” Kazakhstan’s minister of culture and sport, Arystanbek Mukhamediuly, wrote in a Facebook post. “This is an unthinkable tragedy and irreparable loss.”

Ten was the official ambassador for Almaty’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, although Beijing won the vote. Due to his lineage, Ten also enjoyed a huge following in South Korea, and was extremely popular during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

FISU extends its sincere condolences to the family of Denis Ten, as well as the Student Sports Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their irreplaceable loss.