China's Figure Skaters Under Investigation Following Holding Toy Missile at Competition
The International Skating Union are conducting a formal inquiry following a pair of Chinese ice dancers were seen with what looked like a toy ballistic missile at an international skating competition.
Broadcast video captured Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing sitting alongside a sizable prop in the form of a missile labeled “DF-61” while waiting for the judges' results in the “kiss and cry” zone during the event.
This model represents a recently introduced China-produced ground-launched long-range weapon designed for transporting atomic warheads, that had been unveiled during a national ceremony recently.
“The ISU have acknowledged that an inappropriate soft toy seems to have been among those thrown on to the rink by audience members following a routine during the competition,” the ISU stated in an emailed statement.
“The soft toy was subsequently held by the athletes who had just performed. We regrets this occurrence and will look into it more deeply.”
Ren and Xing placed in eighth place out of ten teams during the ice dancing competition, which was won by Madison Chock and Evan Bates from the US.
