Denis Ten
Denis Yuryevich Ten (13 June 1993 – 19 July 2018) was a Kazakhstani figure skater who competed in men's singles.[1][2] He won the bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, marking Kazakhstan's first Olympic medal in figure skating.[3][4] Ten also earned bronze medals at the World Figure Skating Championships in 2013 and 2015, along with the gold medal at the 2015 Four Continents Championships, establishing him as a pioneering athlete for his nation in the sport.[5][6] His career was tragically cut short when he was stabbed to death at age 25 in Almaty during an attempted robbery of his car's mirrors, succumbing to severe blood loss from a femoral artery injury.[7][2][1]
Early Life
Family Background and Ethnicity
Denis Ten was born on June 13, 1993, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to parents Yuri Ten and Oksana Ten, a violinist who played a key role in supporting his early athletic pursuits.[8][9] His family belonged to the Koryo-saram, the ethnic Korean minority in Kazakhstan, whose ancestors were forcibly deported from the Russian Far East to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin in 1937 as part of Soviet ethnic purges targeting perceived Japanese collaborators.[9][10] Ten's father, Yuri, was born in present-day Ukraine before relocating to Kazakhstan, while his mother was born in the region; the family maintained strong ties to Korean heritage despite Russified names common among Koryo-saram under Soviet influence.[8] He had an older brother, Alexei, who remained in Kazakhstan with their father when Ten and his mother moved to Moscow in 2004 for skating training.[8] Ten's first language was Russian, reflecting the linguistic environment of urban Kazakhstan, though he expressed cultural affinity for Korea, stating it felt "not a foreign place" due to his roots.[11] Ethnically Korean through his family's Koryo-saram lineage, Ten traced his ancestry to the 19th-century Korean general Min Keung-ho (also spelled Min Geung-ho), a figure from the Joseon Dynasty known for military exploits against Japanese forces, which underscored his pride in pre-Soviet Korean history.[11][12] This heritage distinguished him in Kazakhstan's multi-ethnic society, where ethnic Koreans number around 100,000–150,000, comprising less than 1% of the population but maintaining distinct cultural practices amid assimilation pressures.[10] Despite his Korean descent, Ten competed internationally for Kazakhstan, his birthplace, and occasionally highlighted his minority background to inspire fellow Koryo-saram youth.[8]Introduction to Figure Skating
Denis Ten began figure skating in 1999 at the age of six in Almaty, Kazakhstan, initially on outdoor rinks during the winter months when ice was naturally available.[13] These open-air facilities, common in post-Soviet Kazakhstan due to limited infrastructure for indoor ice, required skaters to bundle up against harsh weather and often used non-specialized skates resembling sneakers for recreational purposes.[14] [15] Ten's early exposure was casual and exploratory, as he experimented with multiple sports before committing to figure skating around age ten, reflecting the rudimentary state of competitive skating in his home country at the time.[16] [17] The lack of year-round indoor rinks in Almaty constrained training, limiting practice to seasonal ice formation and fostering resilience in young skaters like Ten, who trained outdoors amid challenging conditions without the professional setups available in more developed skating nations.[8] This environment shaped his foundational skills, emphasizing endurance and basic technique over advanced elements initially, as resources for coaching and equipment were scarce in Kazakhstan's nascent figure skating scene during the late 1990s and early 2000s.[5] Ten's progression from recreational skating to structured training marked a pivotal shift, driven by personal passion rather than immediate competitive ambitions, setting the stage for his later international pursuits despite the logistical hurdles.[17] By settling on figure skating as his primary sport by 2003, Ten demonstrated early dedication in a context where Kazakhstan had no prior Olympic representation in the discipline, highlighting the self-motivated nature of his introduction amid limited national support.[16] His beginnings underscored the causal challenges of geography and infrastructure in emerging skating programs, where individual determination often compensated for systemic deficiencies in facilities and coaching availability.[9]Training and Technique
Coaches and Training Locations
Ten began figure skating in Almaty, Kazakhstan, practicing on outdoor rinks due to limited indoor facilities in the post-Soviet era.[15] Seeking advanced development, he relocated to Moscow, Russia, around age 10 to train at the CSKA sports complex, where he worked with coaches including Tatiana Tarasova and Elena Vodorezova (Buianova).[18] Vodorezova, a former Soviet skater and 1983 World bronze medalist, guided Ten during his junior years, emphasizing technical jumps despite initial challenges with elements like the triple Axel; she noted his natural artistry but required rigorous off-ice conditioning to build strength.[10] In 2010, Ten transitioned to coaching under Frank Carroll, a veteran American instructor known for developing Olympic medalists, relocating his primary training base to the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, Los Angeles, California, with additional sessions at Lake Arrowhead.[15][19] Carroll coached Ten through his peak achievements, including the 2014 Olympic bronze medal and 2013 World silver, focusing on refining his artistic expression and competitive mindset amid injuries; Ten credited Carroll's emphasis on perseverance, stating the coach reminded him that true rewards came from mastery rather than immediate results.[17] Nikolai Morozov served as an additional coach during this period, contributing to program development.[18] Ten maintained some ties to Kazakhstan, establishing the Denis Ten Academy in Almaty in 2016 to nurture local talent, though his elite training remained U.S.-based until his retirement considerations in 2018.[18]Skating Style, Strengths, and Criticisms
Denis Ten's skating style emphasized artistry and interpretive depth, often transforming competitions into narrative performances that transcended technical sport. His programs, such as the 2013 World Championships free skate to The Artist, unified themes across segments to convey storytelling, earning descriptions as "brilliant and iconic" for elevating figure skating beyond athleticism.[15] He exhibited soft, graceful edge quality and elegant, restrained movements, with artistry rooted in subtlety, such as raising an arm to evoke emotion without excess.[5] [20] Ten's strengths lay in exceptional musicality and presentation, where he interpreted music's rhythms and tones through fluid, buttery skating and pure movement, as seen in performances like Caruso at the 2015 Four Continents Championships.[12] His spins, including a rare Biellmann position among male skaters, added visual flair and difficulty, while his overall élan and maturity shone in high-pressure settings, such as his 2013 World silver after earlier-season inconsistencies.[12] Despite anatomical challenges like slanted feet, he developed quad jumps, demonstrating resilience in technique.[20] Criticisms of Ten's skating centered on inconsistency, primarily from chronic hip and foot injuries that restricted training and led to erratic jump execution, such as multiple falls in the 2018 Rostelecom Cup and a 27th-place short program at the 2018 Olympics.[15] [12] These issues often peaked later in seasons but hampered early competitions, with observers noting limited ice time exacerbated jump unreliability despite his artistic prowess.[12] Coaches like Frank Carroll highlighted how injuries forced weeks off skates, underscoring a trade-off between his expressive strengths and technical stability.[15]Competitive Career
Junior and Early Senior Years (2003–2009)
Ten debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series in the 2006–07 season at age 13, placing 25th at JGP Hungary in September 2006 with a total score of 137.80.[21] He followed with a 20th-place finish at JGP Mexico in October 2006, ending the season without qualifying for the JGP Final.[22] At his first ISU World Junior Championships in March 2007 in Oberstdorf, Germany, Ten finished 26th overall.[16] In the 2007–08 season, Ten placed 12th at JGP Lake Placid in August 2007 and ninth at JGP Sofia in September 2007, accumulating enough points to reach 17th in the JGP standings but missing the Final.[22] He improved to 16th at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.[16] Competing on the senior level domestically, he won the Kazakhstan Championships in December 2007.[10] The 2008–09 season marked Ten's breakthrough as a junior. He won gold at JGP Gomel in Belarus in September 2008 with a total score of 179.25, becoming the first skater representing Kazakhstan to win an ISU competition.[10][18] A fourth-place finish at JGP Madrid in October 2008 qualified him for the JGP Final in Goyang, South Korea, where he placed fifth in December 2008.[22] At the 2009 World Junior Championships in Sofia, he finished 15th.[18] Ten made his senior international debut at the 2009 Four Continents Championships in Vancouver, Canada, in February 2009, at age 15, placing ninth overall with a total score of 184.82 after ranking 10th in the short program (61.32) and eighth in the free skate.[23][22] In March 2009, he competed at the World Championships in Los Angeles, United States, as the youngest men's entrant, finishing eighth overall with 237.02 points (seventh in short program, eighth in free skate), securing Kazakhstan's first Olympic spot in men's singles for the 2010 Vancouver Games.[10][16]Breakthrough Seasons (2010–2013)
In February 2010, Ten competed at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, placing eighth in the short program with 76.24 points before finishing 11th overall with a total score of 211.25 points.[24] This marked Kazakhstan's best Olympic result in men's figure skating at the time.[25] During the 2010–2011 season, Ten placed 15th at the Four Continents Championships and 27th at the World Championships.[18] He achieved a significant regional success by winning gold at the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Astana-Almaty, leading the short program and placing third in the free skate for a total of 208.89 points.[16] In the 2011–2012 season, Ten improved to 11th at Four Continents and showed progress at the World Championships in Nice, where he ranked eighth in the short program with 76.00 points, sixth in the free skate with 153.70 points, and seventh overall with 229.70 points.[26][27] The 2012–2013 season represented Ten's breakthrough on the international stage, securing bronze at the Four Continents Championships and silver at the World Championships in London, Ontario, with personal best scores that established him as a medal contender.[18] His World silver, achieved through strong performances in both programs, was Kazakhstan's first medal in men's singles at the event.[5]Olympic and World Peak (2014–2015)
At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Denis Ten secured the bronze medal in men's singles figure skating on February 15, 2014, with a total score of 255.10 points, marking the first Olympic medal for Kazakhstan in the sport.[28][29] He placed third in the short program with 84.06 points and maintained his position in the free skate, finishing behind gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan (280.20 points) and silver medalist Patrick Chan of Canada (270.61 points).[30] This achievement highlighted Ten's technical prowess and artistic expression, earning praise for his performance under pressure despite challenging weather conditions affecting training.[31] Following the Olympics, Ten opted not to compete at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan, to focus on recovery and preparation.[32] In the 2014–2015 ISU Grand Prix season, Ten demonstrated resilience by winning the gold medal at the 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard in Bordeaux, France, on November 21, 2014, after placing fourth at Skate America earlier that month.[33] He then claimed the gold medal at the 2015 Four Continents Championships in Seoul, South Korea, from February 9–15, 2015, setting personal best scores and becoming the first Kazakhstani skater to win the event.[6] At the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai, China, held March 23–29, Ten earned the bronze medal with a total of 267.72 points, leading after the short program before placing third in the free skate.[34][13] This period represented Ten's competitive zenith, with consistent podium finishes at major international events underscoring his status as a top global contender.
Later Seasons and Injuries (2016–2018)
In the 2016–17 ISU Grand Prix season, Ten competed at Trophée de France in Paris, where he placed third in the short program with 89.21 points and third in the free skate with 180.05 points, earning the silver medal overall with a total score of 269.26. At the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, he finished 12th in the short program (78.55 points) and 12th in the free skate (151.58 points), securing 11th place overall with 230.13 points. Ten then won gold at the 2017 Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan.[18] In August 2017, Ten sustained a severe injury to his right ankle while visiting South Korea for an ice show, requiring rehabilitation that disrupted his training for the 2017–18 season.[18] Despite the setback, he returned to competition at the 2017 Rostelecom Cup, finishing ninth, and at the 2017 Golden Spin of Zagreb, where he ranked first in the short program (80.50 points) but fifth in the free skate (148.31 points), ending fourth overall (228.81 points).[13] The ankle injury continued to affect Ten's performance in early 2018. At the 2018 Four Continents Championships, he placed 11th with a short program score of 75.30 points.[35] At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Ten scored 70.12 in the short program, finishing 27th and failing to qualify for the free skate.[36] The injury had limited his preparation, leading to underrotated jumps and lower technical scores, as noted in post-competition analyses.[15]Skating Programs
Short Program Selections
Ten's short program music choices evolved to emphasize dramatic expression and intricate footwork, often drawing from classical and operatic sources to complement his lyrical style and precise edges.[12] In the 2012–2013 season, he performed to selections from the soundtrack of the film The Artist, including "The Artist Overture" and "Waltz for Peppy," which allowed for cinematic flair in transitions and spins.[37] For the 2013–2014 season, Ten selected "Danse Macabre, Op. 40" by Camille Saint-Saëns, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Charles Dutoit, a piece that underscored his ability to convey supernatural energy through dynamic step sequences and jump entries.[38] The 2014–2015 season featured "Caruso" by Lucio Dalla, covered by Joseph Calleja, choreographed by Lori Nichol; this program, highlighted for its emotional depth and maturity, earned high program component scores at events like the 2015 Four Continents Championships, where Ten won the short program segment.[12][8] In the 2016–2017 season, he returned with "Romeo and Juliet" by Sergei Prokofiev, choreographed by Nikolai Morozov, incorporating passionate lifts in interpretation despite injury setbacks limiting competitions.[39] Ten's final competitive short program in the 2017–2018 season used "Tu Sei" by Vittorio Grigolo, a vocal selection that reflected his return to form after ankle surgery, as noted in his ISU biography prior to the 2018 season.[13]Free Skate Selections
Denis Ten's free skate programs emphasized artistic expression, technical precision, and dramatic narratives, often drawing from classical, film, or traditional music to complement his fluid edges and interpretive depth. His choices evolved from rhythmic, passionate selections in early senior years to more conceptual pieces during his peak, reflecting collaborations with choreographers like Frank Carroll and David Wilson. In the 2008–2009 season, Ten selected flamenco music for his free skate, which highlighted fast-paced footwork and emotional intensity during his debut at senior Worlds, where he placed 14th overall.[10] For the 2012–2013 season, he performed to music from the film The Artist by Ludovic Bource, extending a thematic narrative from his short program and earning praise for cohesive storytelling amid a 4th-place finish at Worlds.[17] The 2013–2014 Olympic season featured The Lady and the Hooligan by Dmitri Shostakovich for the free skate, a choice that underscored dynamic contrasts and contributed to his bronze medal in Sochi, where he landed two quadruple jumps despite a fall.[40]| Season | Free Skate Music | Notes/Choreographer |
|---|---|---|
| 2014–2015 | Ambush from Ten Sides (traditional pipa concerto) | Won gold at Four Continents and silver at Worlds; choreographed by David Wilson, known for its intense, battle-like imagery and Ten's signature spins.[41][42] |
| 2017–2018 | SOS d'un terrien en détresse by Michel Berger (performed by Garou) | Final competitive program, planned for reuse in shortened format; emphasized vulnerability and power, performed amid injury challenges before his death.[18][43] |
Competitive Record
Major Achievements and Medals
Denis Ten achieved his most prominent success at the senior international level by securing the bronze medal in men's singles at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, on February 17, 2014, with a total score of 255.10 points, becoming the first figure skater and overall athlete from Kazakhstan to win an Olympic medal.[44][2] At the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, he earned the silver medal in 2013 in London, Ontario, Canada, finishing behind Patrick Chan with 280.71 points overall.[45] He followed this with a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, China.[15] Additionally, Ten won the gold medal at the 2015 Four Continents Championships in Seoul, South Korea, on February 14, 2015, scoring 289.46 points and setting personal bests in both segments.[46][47]| Competition | Year | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 2014 | Men's singles | Bronze |
| World Championships | 2013 | Men's singles | Silver |
| World Championships | 2015 | Men's singles | Bronze |
| Four Continents Championships | 2015 | Men's singles | Gold |
Key Competition Results
Denis Ten's key competition results include medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Four Continents Championships. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he placed 11th in men's singles.[3] At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Ten earned the bronze medal, the first Olympic figure skating medal for Kazakhstan, with a total score of 255.10 points.[28] He finished 27th at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.[3] At the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Ten won silver in 2013 in London, Ontario, becoming the first Kazakh skater to medal there.[13] In 2015 in Shanghai, he took bronze with 267.72 total points, placing third in the short program (85.89 points) and first in the free skate (181.83 points).[48]| Event | Year | Location | Placement | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISU Four Continents Championships | 2015 | Seoul, South Korea | Gold (1st) | 289.46 points[49] |
| ISU Grand Prix: Trophée Éric Bompard | 2014 | Bordeaux, France | Bronze (3rd) | Personal best score achieved[50] |
| ISU Grand Prix: Trophée de France | 2016 | Paris, France | Silver (2nd) | 269.26 points[51] |