Man confessed to murdering Olympic figure skater Denis Ten while a second attacker was arrested, police said
The 25-year-old was stabbed to death in his home city of Almaty
One of two men detained on suspicion of killing Olympic figure skating medallist Denis Ten in Kazakhstan has confessed, authorities said Friday.
Prosecutor Berik Zhuyrektayev said in a televised statement that Nuraly Kiyasov “confessed his guilt in the presence of an attorney” while being questioned over the 25-year-old skater’s death Thursday in the Kazakh city of Almaty. The prosecutor didn’t give further details of what exactly Kiyasov had said.
Police have also detained 23-year-old Arman Kudaibergenov in connection with Ten’s death, which has prompted national mourning. Authorities released a picture of the dishevelled-looking man being held by masked men wearing body armour and camouflage uniforms.
Ten was stabbed after a dispute with people who allegedly tried to steal a mirror from his car in his home city of Almaty. He died in hospital of massive blood loss from multiple wounds, the Kazinform news agency said. Prosecutors are treating his death as murder.
Kazinform reported that Kiyasov was taken to the scene of the crime under heavy security Friday as part of the investigation.
Born in Kazakhstan to a family of Korean descent, Ten’s bronze at the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 made him Kazakhstan’s first medallist in figure skating.
He also won the Four Continents championships in 2015, and was a world championship silver medallist in 2013. He struggled with injuries in recent years and could only finish 27th at the Pyeongchang Olympics in February.
