China's Ice Dancers Under Probe Following Holding Toy Missile during Competition
ISU officials are conducting an investigation after a pair of Chinese ice dancers were seen with an object resembling a toy ballistic missile during an international skating competition.
Television footage captured Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing waiting alongside a large toy shaped like a rocket marked “DF-61” while waiting for their scores in the “kiss and cry” area during the event.
The DF-61 represents a recently introduced China-produced land-based long-range weapon designed for transporting atomic warheads, that had been unveiled during a national ceremony last month.
“The ISU have acknowledged of an unsuitable plush item seems to have been among those thrown on to the ice by spectators after a performance during the competition,” the organization commented in an emailed statement.
The item was then held by the athletes after their performance. We apologizes for this occurrence and will investigate further.”
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 of the United States.
