Denis Ten Memorial Challenge: How Tournament Keeps Olympic Champion’s Legacy Alive

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ALMATY – When Denis Ten became Kazakhstan’s first Olympic medalist in figure skating, winning bronze at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, he showed a generation of young athletes that they could compete with the world’s best. More than a decade later, a tournament established in his memory is helping turn that ambition into opportunity, bringing international competition to Kazakhstan and giving emerging skaters a chance to develop on home ice.

The Denis Ten Memorial Challenge was created to carry forward the work of one of Kazakhstan’s most celebrated athletes. Beyond commemorating his achievements, the tournament seeks to strengthen professional figure skating in the country, support young athletes and foster connections within the international skating community.

The event is organized by the Denis Ten Foundation, a public foundation established in 2018 to preserve the skater’s legacy, continue his projects and support young athletes and creative talent. Since 2019, the foundation has organized the memorial tournament, with Denis’s mother, Oksana Ten, serving as its president.

“On behalf of Denis’s dream, this international tournament was organized. Its goal is to develop professional figure skating in Kazakhstan and popularize this wonderful sport,” Oksana Ten said in 2025.

From an Olympic breakthrough to a platform for young skaters

Denis Ten’s achievements helped put Kazakhstan on the international figure skating map. He won his first major international title at the 2008-2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Belarus, becoming the first Kazakh skater to win an International Skating Union competition. He was 16 at the time.

His progress had begun even earlier. At 12, he competed against senior skaters at the Kazakhstan Championships and won. In 2013, he earned silver at the World Figure Skating Championships, followed by bronze in 2015. His Olympic bronze medal in Sochi in 2014 was a historic first for Kazakhstan.

Ten was also known beyond the rink for his artistic interests, language skills and commitment to learning. His career demonstrated how an athlete from Kazakhstan could reach the highest levels of international sport while building a broader cultural and intellectual life.

His death in 2018 was a profound loss for Kazakhstan and the international figure skating community. The memorial foundation was established that year to ensure his projects and ambitions would continue beyond his lifetime.

The tournament that followed became one way to put that commitment into practice. Rather than limiting the memorial to an annual tribute, the foundation created an event where young skaters could compete against international opponents, gain experience and develop their skills without having to travel abroad for every major opportunity.

Why the tournament matters for Kazakhstan

International competitions play an important role in developing athletes. They allow skaters to test their preparation against competitors from other countries, perform before international judges and audiences, and build the experience needed to progress through the sport’s competitive levels.

The Denis Ten Memorial Challenge is part of the ISU Challenger Series, an international circuit for senior skaters that offers competition between national events and the Grand Prix series. Results from eligible competitions contribute to the ISU World Standings, helping athletes build their international rankings.

The series also gives Kazakhstan an opportunity to host high-level skating and bring the international figure skating community to the country. Challenger events must meet ISU requirements for participating countries and disciplines, placing them within a broader international competition structure.

According to the organizers, the growth of the memorial tournament has coincided with the development of new figure skating schools and the establishment of a figure skating academy in Kazakhstan. Domestic competitions with international participation have also given Kazakhstani athletes more opportunities to earn ISU ranking points on home ice.

The significance of that development became especially visible with Kazakhstan’s success at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where Mikhail Shaidorov won gold in men’s singles. His achievement marked a major milestone for the country’s figure skating community and brought renewed attention to the importance of sustained athlete development.

Oksana Ten reflected on that progress, noting the growth of the sport in Kazakhstan and the country’s Olympic success.

“I realized how necessary this tournament is for Kazakhstan. You can see how much the number of figure skaters in our country has grown, both in quality and quantity. We finally have Olympic gold. This is a huge achievement not only for our country; the whole world admires it. That is why I think holding this tournament is worthwhile,” she said during a press conference ahead of the tournament’s 2026 edition.

The memorial has also welcomed skaters who later achieved international recognition. Over the years, its winners have included Shaidorov, Russian skater Petr Gumennik, Belarusian skater Viktoria Safonova and Japanese figure skating legend Daisuke Takahashi. Their participation has helped connect younger competitors with athletes at different stages of their careers.

Held in Almaty and Astana over the years, the tournament has featured singles skating and ice dance, as well as pair skating in some editions. Its broader purpose remains consistent: to create opportunities for athletes to compete internationally while strengthening Kazakhstan’s figure skating community.

The 2026 edition brings together more than 20 countries

The eighth Denis Ten Memorial Challenge took place at Halyk Arena in Almaty from Oct. 7 to 10, bringing together around 150 athletes from more than 20 countries. Senior and junior athletes competed in six categories: Junior Men, Junior Women, Women, Men, Junior Ice Dance and Ice Dance.

In women’s singles, Alexandra Ignatova won gold with 226.01 points. South Korea’s Kim Yu-jae took silver with 209.20 points, while Kazakhstan’s Sofia Samodelkina claimed bronze with 204.36 points. Vladislav Dikidzhi won the men’s competition with 312.79 points, followed by Gleb Lutfullin with 277.23 points and Petr Gumennik with 261.76 points.

In ice dance, Finland’s Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis took gold with 191.32 points. Vasilisa Kaganovskaya and Maxim Nekrasov finished second with 187.20 points, while the United States’ Caroline Green and Michael Parsons won bronze with 180.37 points.

For Samodelkina, the atmosphere in Almaty was an important part of the experience. The participant in the 2026 Winter Olympics and silver medalist at the ISU Grand Prix event in Osaka said the crowd’s support gave skaters an additional source of energy.

“The audience applauds so loudly that you feel as if you’re on a whole different level. They give you incredible energy and strength, and that helps you skate,” she said.

Remembering Denis Ten through sport and art

The memorial’s purpose extends beyond competition. Each edition also creates space to remember Ten’s personality, artistic interests and influence on those who knew him. The highlight of the 2026 event was the gala show, “The Ice That Remembers,” which brought together competition medalists, invited skaters and athletes from the Denis Ten Academy. The program combined figure skating with music and aerial acrobatics.

Marie-Pierre Leray, a French figure skater and longtime friend of Ten, took part in the show. She had also performed in the “Denis and Friends” program in 2013.  Vocalists Daniil Yun and Sanat Asuat presented songs dedicated to Ten’s memory. The evening also featured a specially composed tournament anthem, an AI avatar of the skater and excerpts from his poetry.

The Denis Ten Memorial Challenge continues to serve two connected purposes: honoring an athlete whose achievements changed the history of figure skating in Kazakhstan and creating opportunities for the next generation to pursue their own ambitions. 

The event is organized by the Denis Ten Foundation, with the assistance from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Almaty city administration and Samruk Kazyna.

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