Denis Ten, Olympic Bronze Medalist, Stabbed to Death

Denis Ten, a figure skater who won a Bronze Medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, died on Thursday after being stabbed during a dispute in Kazakhstan.

He was 25 years old.

According to BBC News, Ten died of the wounds he suffered after two men tried to steal car mirrors during a mugging.

It’s unclear at this time whether Ten fought back or just what precipated the fatal stabbing, but “he is not with us anymore,” a Kazakh government spokesman has said on record.

The Olympian was in his home city of Almaty when the tragedy occurred.

Canadian skater Patrick Chan, who won silver in the same competition four years ago, wrote on Twitter he was “honored and grateful to have shared the ice” with Ten, adding:

“One of the most beautiful skaters to have graced our sport. My thoughts are with his family during this unimaginable time.”

As news of this murder has spread around the Internet and the skating community, tributes have come flooding in from all areas of the globe.

This is what American figure skater Adam Rippon has said in the wake of the terrible news:

“My skating friend, @Tenis_Den, passed away today. He was so kind to everyone and a huge inspiration to me and so many other people. Murdered in the streets of Kazakhstan.

“Denis, thank you for showing us how to be a champion. Your time with us was way too short. Love you forever.”

The International Skating Union said it was “deeply saddened” by news of Ten’s death.

“Today is truly a dark day for all of us who knew and loved this young figure skater and were inspired by his talent and creativity,” Kazakhstan Olympic Committee president Timur Kulibayev said in a statement.

“Throughout his sporting career, Denis set an example with his motivation, strength of spirit and his champion’s personality.”

Ten also won the Four Continents championships in 2015 and was a world championship silver medalist in 2013.

However, he struggled with injuries in recent years and could manage only 27th at the Olympics in Pyeongchang in February.

He had hinted at retirement at various points since then, talking in public about his studies in economics and his plans to write a movie script.

“Completely devastated by the passing of Denis Ten,” Tweeted Johnny Weir, adding:

“He was as bright and kind as he was talented. This is such an incredible loss and tragedy. My heart is with his family and loved ones.”

“Denis Ten was an incredible figure skater, the legend of our sport, our pride,” said the minister of culture and sport of Kazakhstan Arystanbek Mukhamediuly, via BBC.

“This is an unthinkable tragedy and irreparable loss.”

Our thoughts go out to his family members, friends and loved ones.

May Denis Ten rest in peace.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2018: In Memoriam

ReadMore…

Denis Johnson Dies; Beloved Author Was 67

Denis Johnson, the acclaimed author best known for such contemporary classics as Jesus’ Son, Angels, Tree of Smoke, and Train Dreams, has passed away at the age of 67.

Widely regarded as one of the top literary talents of his generation, Johnson deftly transformed the images and sensations of his troubled early life into searing and inimitable works of fiction and poetry.

News of his death was confirmed this morning by Jonathan Galassi, president of publishing house Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

“Denis was one of the great writers of his generation,” Galassi said in a statement issued today.

“He wrote prose with the imaginative concentration and empathy of the poet he was.”

Born in Munich, Germany in 1949, but raised primarily in the US, Johnson endured several tumultuous years as a drifter and addict before sobering up and focusing on his passion for the written word.

In 1984, earned an MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, where he studied under such literary icons as Raymond Carver.

Not long after leaving the program, the prolific Johnson began churning out distinctive poetry and short stories that quickly made his name a sort of byword for underground literary cool.

Johnson won the National Book Award in 2012 for his sprawling Vietnam epic Tree of Smoke.

The book was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize, as was Johnson’s 2012 novella, Train Dreams.

But it’s the short story collection Jesus’ Son for which Johnson will likely be best remembered.

With a title taken from the infamous Lou Reed song “Heroin”, the book delves deep into the lives of dissolute junkies and transients – men and women living lives not unlike Johnson’s in his young adulthood.

The collection was adapted into an acclaimed 1999 film starring Billy Crudup, Jack Black, and Denis Leary.

In 2006, Jesus’ Son was cited by The New York Times as one of the most important literary works of the past 25 years.

Within minutes of the news of his death Johnson’s name became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter due to a deluge of tributes from friends, fans and the many fellow writers on whom his work served as a profound influence.

Johnson is survived by three children.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2017: In Memoriam

ReadMore…