A suspect has been detained in connection with thedeath of Olympic figure skater Denis Ten, according to multiple reports.
Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry released a statement on Friday announcing they hadidentified two suspectsin the 25-year-old Kazakhstan athlete’s death, one of whom had been detained, Reuters reported.
Almaty Prosecutor Berik Zhuirektayev said the suspect had been detained on Friday and had “confessed his guilt in the presence of an attorney,”the Associated Press said local news agency Kazinform reported.
Kazinform also reported that a second suspect had been determined, and a photo of the suspect has been released, according to the AP.
The AP went on to report that prosecutors are treating Ten’s death as a murder.
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Ten — who won a bronze medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics — was stabbed amid an argument with two unidentified men who were allegedly attempting to steal mirrors from his car in Almaty,Reuters previously said Russian news agency TASS reported.
Local police toldtengrinews.kzthat the investigation into the incident and efforts to identify the suspects remain ongoing, according to Reuters.
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Appearing to confirm the tragic news, the International Skating Union wrote on Twitter: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to Denis’ family, friends and fans across the world.” In a statement, International Olympic Committee President
In a separate statement, IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Denis Ten was a great athlete and a great ambassador for his sport. A warm personality and a charming man. Such a tragedy to lose him at such a young age.”
Ten went on to compet in the Olympics in PyeongChang earlier this year, but placed in 27th while battling injuries.
“Denis Ten was an incredible figure skater, the legend of our sport, our pride,” Kazakhstan’s minister of culture and sport, Arystanbek Mukhamediuly, said,according to the BBC. “This is an unthinkable tragedy and irreparable loss.”
source: people.com
