ISU officials have launched a formal inquiry following a pair of Chinese ice dancers were seen holding what looked like a replica weapon at an international skating competition.
Television footage captured Ren Junfei and Xing Jianing sitting with a sizable prop in the form of a missile labeled “DF-61” as they awaited their scores in the “kiss and cry” zone on Saturday.
This model represents a recently introduced China-produced land-based intercontinental ballistic missile designed for transporting atomic warheads, which was unveiled at a military parade last month.
“The ISU have acknowledged that an inappropriate soft toy seems to have been among those thrown on to the ice by spectators after a performance at the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Cup of China event,” the ISU stated in an emailed statement.
“The soft toy was subsequently handled by the athletes after their performance. The ISU regrets this occurrence and will investigate further.”
The duo finished eighth out of ten teams in the ice dance event, which was won by the American pair from the US.
