Kazakhstan’s 2014 Olympic medalist in figure skating Denis Ten stabbed to death

Ten spotted two unknown suspects trying to dismount and steal side-mirrors from his car, as a result of the ensued brawl with the suspects, the skater sustained a knife wound

MOSCOW, July 19. /TASS/. Denis Ten, the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in men’s figure skating from Kazakhstan, died at a hospital of Almaty on Thursday afternoon after he had been assaulted by unknown suspects and suffered a knife stab, according to Kazinform news agency.

"Unfortunately, he passed away," the news agency stated quoting Ernar Akimulov, a spokesman for the Health Ministry of Kazakhstan, as saying.

According to Almaty’s police department, Denis Ten spotted two unknown suspects trying to dismount and steal side-mirrors from his car at about midday local time (9:00 GMT). As a result of the ensued brawl with the suspects, the 25-year-old figure skater sustained a knife wound and was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The Interior Ministry of Kazakhstan has launched a criminal investigation into the incident and the search for suspects in the attack on the prominent athlete is underway.