Missing Dutch short track speed skater Sven Roes has signaled that he is alive after traveling abroad, according to a joint statement released by the Dutch Skating Association (KNSB), his family, and the police on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
The 26-year-old TeamNL athlete had been missing since Saturday around 7:05 p. m.
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, when he was last spotted at a gas station in Muiden.
His disappearance prompted fellow Olympic athletes, including Jens van 't Wout, Melle van 't Wout, and Xandra Velzeboer, to share urgent appeals on social media.
Authorities subsequently located Roes's vehicle at a parking lot near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
The police confirmed that investigative findings show the athlete boarded a flight out of the country.
While the exact nature of his communication remains undisclosed, the skater's family expressed mixed emotions regarding the situation.
The KNSB relayed their formal remarks on the matter.
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"Gelukkig heeft hij een teken van leven gegeven, maar wij blijven met veel vragen achter," stated the family of Sven Roes.
The family also expressed gratitude for the public support received during the search, though they requested privacy as the situation develops.
The police remain in contact with them.
"Over de inhoud worden geen verdere mededelingen gedaan.
De familie wil iedereen die steun heeft betuigd bedanken, maar heeft in dit stadium behoefte aan rust en privacy.
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Zij gaan ervan uit dat dit door iedereen wordt gerespecteerd," the statement added.
