The world has lost one of it’s brightest. My friend, my brother, @Tenis_Den... I miss you so much.
.@Tenis_Den was an inspiring athlete, artist, musician, leader, and ambassador. He was brilliant in so many ways, but perhaps his greatest gift was his kindness and the compassion he showed toward others.
My thoughts go out to his parents, his friends, and his many fans all around the world.
I’m heartbroken - so devastated. I want everyone to know Denis the way I knew him. Here are some of my fondest memories of my friend, @Tenis_Den.
I met @Tenis_Den in 2008 in Courchevel, France. It was @MaiaShibutani’s and my first major international figure skating competition. We became fast friends.
Denis told me he learned English by watching movies and listening to American music. As a joke, he would integrate the chorus from “Yeah” by Usher into our conversations. It was never just one, “Yeah.” It was all of them. He was such a funny guy.
.@MaiaShibutani and I convinced Denis to join Twitter when he visited us one summer in the U.S. I’m pretty sure the “DenisTen” Twitter handle was available, but Denis was always different. He flipped the first letters of his name, and that’s why he’s @Tenis_Den on Twitter.
.@Tenis_Den was strong, brave, and resilient both on and off the ice. He performed and competed with an energy and intensity that simultaneously blasted out to the corners of the arena while also bringing the audience into the moments he created.
One of my favorite performances is his 2009 World Championships free program. It was his breakout performance. He brought the house down.
If you never had the opportunity to speak or spend time with Denis, this video shows you a glimpse of his thoughtfulness, his wisdom, and his gratitude.
This was our friendship.
We always talked with Denis about going to visit him in Kazakhstan. In 2015 we did. Denis organized a skating show and invited us to perform. It was an incredible experience and it changed my life. This is a video we made about the experience.
Love you, D10. I’m honored and so grateful that I had the opportunity to meet you. Thank you for being my friend. I hope that we meet again someday.
