Denis Ten had only 25 years of time, but he shone bright before his life was cut short by a senseless act of violence on July 19 in his hometown of Almaty when he surprised thieves at his car that apparently tried to steal the mirrors. The two men stabbed the skater brutally and he died of heavy blood loss in hospital where doctors desperately tried to save his life.

Why do I live, why do I die
Why do I laugh,
why do I cry
Here is the S.O.S.
Of an earthling in distress
My feet were never on the ground
I'd much rather be a bird
I don't fit my skin*

The news shocked not only the skating family, but people all over the world. Athletes, coaches, officials, fans, journalists and many others did not want to believe the terrible truth that this brilliant young man was gone. A bright star had left the earth for the sky far too soon.

Denis Ten not only wrote sports history by becoming the first Kazakh figure skater to win an Olympic medal – bronze in 2014 – and medals at World Figure Skating Championships, but he singlehandedly put his country Kazakhstan on the world map of figure skating. He was an inspiration to many other skaters and people from Kazakhstan and from all over the world and impressed with his talents. Most people knew him as a figure skater, but he was gifted in so many ways, as a talented musician and songwriter, a photographer and writer, as a dedicated university student. Just a few days before his untimely death, Denis revealed that he took part in the Screenlife Project, a movie maker contest of renowned director Timur Bekmambetov, and that he was in the semifinal of the top 18 of more than 250 applicants with his plot about a hearing impaired girl and speech-impaired boy.

In summer 2017, Tatjana did an interview with Denis while he was in Korea undergoing rehab after suffering his ankle injury. “All athletes have injuries. But even bad things have a side where you can find something positive. Except for thinking over a lot of things in order to keep yourself somehow busy, in these periods I managed to find myself in very different spheres. Photography, writing, detailed project-planning for future projects and the last two distractions were music and animation. In all these areas I was able to achieve some result,” he said. “For some time, music became such a fascinating journey that I even was asked to try myself as a musician. I do not play an instrument to perfection, but it is easy for me to create songs of very different genres. Once, one of my friends who is a major music producer in Kazakhstan, asked me to send him some demo-versions of my songs. Some things I even completed, but there is just not enough time for that.”

I'd like to see the world upside down
What if it's more beautiful
Seen from above
From above

A true artist on the ice, Denis combined his skating and technical difficulty with memorable and beautiful programs such as “The Artist” (short and long program in 2012/13), “Silk Road” (long program 2014/15), “The Young Lady and the Hooligan” (long program 2013/14) and “Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2” (the program that was his breakthrough at the World Championships 2009) and finally “S.O.S. of an Earthling in Distress” (long program 2017/18).

In summer 2017, Denis spoke in an interview with Tatjana about his last programs: “The free program has become a peculiar symbol for me and towards the short program (“Tu Sei” by Vittorio Grigolo) I have a reverent feeling. The idea was born out of amusing situations, but the most valuable for me is that the music (of the free skating) is performed by a Kazakh artist (Dimash Kudaibergen). I feel a very strong connection to the musician and to the piece of music. This adds a certain pressure, but on the other hand I understand that it happens rarely that you manage to find something so precious. I hope when I show this program for the first time to the audience that I will be able to share the emotions that I am feeling myself.”

I always seemed to confuse life
With some kind of comic strip
I'm so eager to get metamorphosed
I can feel something
Drawing me
Drawing me
Drawing me way up high

More than being a successful athlete, a highly intelligent and gifted young man, Denis was most of all a wonderful person, loved by everyone who knew him. He was kind and compassionate, he cared for the people around him, he loved to make jokes and to share is generous smile.

At the same time, Denis had a strong will and never gave up. He went through many ups and downs in his career. Tatjana and Mario recall how Denis competed at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2007 in Oberstdorf, Germany, which was his first ISU Championship. He was 13 years old at the time and one of the youngest competitors in the event. After an error on his combination jump, he narrowly missed the cut for the free skating by coming 26th. Later he and his mother Oksana shared that after this disappointing result in his debut they were debating whether it was worthwhile to continue skating, but then he decided not to give up and continued to work and train hard. As it turned out, that first Championship was the beginning of a great career.

It took Denis only two years to jump right into the spotlight in his debut at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2009 in Los Angeles, when he skated brilliantly to finish 8th. Other highlights include his silver medal at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in 2013 and the World bronze medal in 2015 and, obviously, the Olympic bronze medal in 2014, the first Olympic figure skating medal for his country, plus the title at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 2015. Unfortunately, Denis often suffered from injuries, especially to his ankles. He severely injured ligaments in his ankle in summer 2017, but still made it to the Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Korea, which was very important to him as he was of Korean descent. “In spite of the unfortunate events today, I will not give up and continue to work. This is life, this is the sport and it all makes our life experience,” he said in PyeongChang following the short program. “To be in Korea is indeed a big honor for me. I have waited for this competition for a long time. Last time I was in Korea, I was on crutches and I couldn't even think about being able to come here as an active athlete."

At the universe's lottery
I didn't get winning numbers
I don't fit my skin

As always, Denis showed a great fighting spirit and was determined to come back. Following the Olympic Games, he took a break to recover from his injuries and focused on his MBA studies in petrol industry at the Kazakh-British Technical University, but then returned on the ice for his skating show in June. He wanted to continue competing, was entered for the Grand Prix in Moscow – he was always popular in Russia, and had trained in Russia for many years until spring 2010 – and only a few days before he was taken out of our middle so brutally he had contacted his choreographers Lori Nichol and David Wilson in Canada to make a new short program and to adapt his long program “S.O.S. of an Earthling in Distress” to the new rules.

I don't want to be a robot
Between metro, work and sleep

The skating community reacted with profound sadness to the tragic death of Denis Ten. Skaters, officials and fans from all over the world posted photos and comments on their social media accounts to share their grief. Among them was Evan Lysacek, the 2010 Olympic Champion and someone young Denis always had looked up to.

Tatjana recalls how Denis told her once how proud he was to get Evan’s autograph when he was a flower kid at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2005 in Moscow where he was training at the time. He kept that autograph in a special place.

Why do I live, why do I die
Why do I laugh, why do I cry
I think I'm picking up
Waves from another world

It still feels unreal to have to write these words and to speak of Denis in the past. When Tatjana asked him almost a year ago last summer about his plans after the Olympic season, he was not sure yet what he will do but said there is a high chance of him to continue competing. “Looking back, independently of what happens in the future, I realize that I had a great career, where everything happened – highs and lows, medals and disappointments, nice memories and not so nice ones, unique events, meetings and many magical things. And the career was not built on one single achievement or a certain medal, but on a chronology of all events as a whole. Thinking about that, the sport has a completely different meaning. Somewhere I realize that I was a really lucky person with a quite fulfilled sports life,” he said.

My feet were never on the ground
I'd much rather be a bird
I don't fit my skin

Denis had a great career with many achievements and his future outside the sport looked bright. As talented as he was, there were so many roads open to him, but he remained modest and down to earth. “I believe I am exactly the same person than I was before. I am still someone who loves the sport, his fans, who is happy about his successes and upset about his failures. We athletes stay the way we are, we are not just growing up, but also growing inside,” he said in PyeongChang when Tatjana interviewed him for the last time in the mixed zone following the short program.

I'd like to see the world upside down
I'd much rather be a bird
Back to sleep, dear child...

Denis Ten will stay in the hearts of many people forever.

Tatjana Flade and Mario Meinel

*The text in italics are the lyrics from the song “S.O.S. of an earthling in distress” (“S.O.S. d’un terrien en détresse”), his last free program that he skated to in a version performed by his friend, Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen.