China's Ice Dancers Face Investigation Following Displaying Toy Missile during Event
The International Skating Union are conducting a formal inquiry following two Chinese ice dancers appeared holding what looked like a toy ballistic missile at an international skating competition.
Broadcast footage showed Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing waiting with a large toy in the form of a rocket marked “DF-61” while waiting for the judges' results in the “kiss and cry” zone during the event.
The DF-61 is a new China-produced land-based long-range weapon designed for transporting atomic warheads, that had been unveiled during a national ceremony last month.
“The ISU is aware that an inappropriate soft toy appears to have been among those thrown on to the rink by audience members following a performance at the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Cup of China event,” the ISU commented in an emailed statement.
“The soft toy was then held by the athletes after their performance. We apologizes for the incident and will look into it more deeply.”
Ren and Xing placed eighth out of ten teams during the ice dancing competition, which was won by the American pair of the United States.
