The nation of Kazakhstan has not historically been a skating powerhouse, which made the career of Denis Ten all the more remarkable. Ten broke new ground for his country's figure skating program, becoming the first athlete from Kazakhstan to win internationally and to stand on major podiums including the World Championships. At the 2014 Olympics, he added another first to his historic career, earning a bronze medal and becoming Kazakhstan's first Olympic medalist in figure skating.
Tragically, Ten's career came to a devastating end only four years later when he was killed by two carjackers attempting to steal his car's mirrors. Today, the Denis Ten Memorial Challenge, a "Challenger Series" international competition, is held annually in Kazakhstan.
Watch Ten's Olympic free skate here.
