China's Ice Dancers Under Probe Following Displaying Prop Weapon at Competition
ISU officials have launched a formal inquiry after a pair of Chinese ice dancers were seen holding what looked like a replica weapon during a grand prix figure skating event.
Television footage showed Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing waiting alongside a sizable prop shaped like a rocket marked “DF-61” while waiting for the judges' results in the “kiss and cry” zone during the event.
The DF-61 represents a recently introduced China-produced land-based intercontinental ballistic missile capable of transporting atomic warheads, which was displayed during a national ceremony last month.
“The ISU is aware of an unsuitable soft toy seems to have been among those tossed onto the ice by spectators after a performance during the competition,” the ISU stated in an emailed statement.
The item was subsequently held by the skaters who had just performed. We apologizes for this occurrence and will look into it more deeply.”
The duo finished in eighth place out of ten teams during the ice dancing competition, with the victory going to Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States.
