China's Figure Skaters Face Investigation After Holding Toy Missile at Competition

ISU officials are conducting a formal inquiry following two Chinese ice dancers were seen holding an object resembling a replica weapon at a grand prix figure skating event.

Television footage showed the skaters sitting with a sizable prop shaped like a rocket labeled “DF-61” as they awaited their scores in the “kiss and cry” zone on Saturday.

This model is a new Chinese-made ground-launched long-range weapon designed for transporting atomic warheads, that had been displayed during a national ceremony last month.

“The ISU is aware of an unsuitable soft toy seems to have been among those tossed onto the rink by spectators following a performance during the competition,” the ISU commented via a release.

The item was then handled by the skaters after their performance. The ISU apologizes for the incident and will look into it more deeply.”

Ren and Xing placed eighth out of ten teams in the ice dance event, which was won by the American pair of the United States.