Two men convicted in death of Olympic skater Denis Ten

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A court in Almaty, Kazakhstan, convicted two men and sentenced them to prison in the death of 25-year-old Olympic figure skater Denis Ten.

Arman Kudaibergenov and Nurali Kiyasov got 18 years in prison Thursday for killing Ten. A third man, Zhanar Tolybaeva, was sentenced to four years in prison for complicity with theft and failure to report a crime.

Ten, the men's figure-skating bronze medalist at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, was stabbed in an encounter with Kudaibergenov and Kiyasov, who were attempting to steal the mirrors off Ten's car. The wound caused a rupture in Ten's femoral artery, causing him to die of blood loss in a nearby hospital on July 19.

Ten's loss has been marked during the 2018-19 figure-skating season, with many skaters performing routines in tribute to him, including Sergei Voronov who was choreographed by Ten prior to his death.

Ten was known as the only major professional figure skater from Kazakhstan, but is credited with bringing the winter sport to his home country, where many new rising skaters are now competing.

Eighteen-year-old Elizabet Tursynbayeva placed in the top six in two international competitions this season and skates representing Kazakhstan.