Suspect confesses in stabbing death of Olympic figure skater Denis Ten, per report
Kazakh authorities have detained two suspects as part of their investigation into the death of Olympic figure skater Denis Ten — and one of them has issued a confession, according to the Associated Press.
The AP reported that prosecutor Berik Zhuyrektayev made a televised statement in Kazakhstan about the matter Friday, revealing that a man named Nuraly Kiyasov had been arrested and "confessed his guilt." Police have also detained the second suspect, Arman Kudaibergenov, according to the wire service.
Authorities are investigating the death of Ten, the first Kazakh figure skater to win an Olympic medal, as a murder.
Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly wrote in a Facebook post Thursday that Ten died after being stabbed in an attack in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Thieves were attempting to steal the mirrors off the 25-year-old's car, Mukhamediuly wrote.
Ten, who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, was considered one of the most popular individual athletes in Kazakhstan, and his death sent shockwaves throughout the figure skating community.
MORE: Olympic figure skater Denis Ten dies after stabbing in Kazakhstan
"Denis Ten was a great athlete and a great ambassador for his sport," IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement. "A warm personality and a charming man. Such a tragedy to lose him at such a young age."
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.