Jens van ’t Wout enjoyed a remarkable Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, winning two individual gold medals in the 1000m and 1500m, plus another in the men’s 5000m relay, and bronze in the 500m, just behind his brother, Melle. 

His achievements, along with those of Xandra Velzeboer in the women’s events, created a huge buzz around Short Track in the Netherlands, raising the profile of both the sport and the athletes. 

Living his dreams hasn’t stopped the Dutchman from harbouring plenty more ambition in the sport. For now, however, he has enjoyed a tremendous few months of fame, holidays and riding motorbikes very fast…

Melle van 't Wout interacts with Jens van 't Wout during the podium ceremony after competing in the Men's 5000m Relay at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy. © Getty Images

Post-Olympic madness 

“When I got back from Milan it was crazy. My life is different now from how it was before the Olympics. Many people recognise you. It’s getting a little less now, which is nice, but for a while I was stopping for a lot of photographs. 

“I was getting invited to events. They flew me and my brother out to the MotoGP in Barcelona and there were other opportunities. We aren’t as famous as footballers like Frenkie de Jong, who can’t go anywhere. He has to be super careful where he goes, so I’m happy it’s not like that.

“I did some talk shows, which I enjoyed. And all the medal winners in the Netherlands after an Olympics go to meet the King. It’s a tradition. We skated with him on his birthday, too. 

“He’s a really good skater and the Queen is too! Other than that, I like to stay away from politics or other requests.”

Rest and relaxation 

“After the Worlds I went to St Martin, a nice Caribbean island, and completely relaxed for two weeks in the sun. I don’t really drink alcohol. I only drank at the parties after the Olympics and Worlds, but I ate way too much bad food. Lots of ice cream.

“I got the rings tattooed on my side, very minimalistic, and I’m going to get something else to fill in there, too. The pain of the machine is addictive. The ribs are the most painful spot and I won’t let myself use numbing cream. It’s mental warfare! 

“I’ve been enjoying riding my motorcycles. I have a couple. I’m talking with Yamaha to sign with them as an ambassador, and I’ll be getting the new R7. That’s going to be really cool.

“I currently ride a 1000cc bike, which is a bit crazy. It’s unnecessary and I don’t use all the power. The R7 is 680cc but lighter than my current bike. I’m into the aesthetic of biking. 

“I love the freedom of riding, the pressure, the wind, the nimbleness. It’s similar to skating, the feeling of the bike pushing back, but without the lactic acid.”

Jens van 't Wout got his new tattoo - the rings © Jens van 't Wout

Jens van 't Wout is on his motorbike  © Jens van 't Wout

New opportunities 

“We’ve had some interest from sponsors. We have a new logo on our suit, from the energy company Essent. Melle and I are looking to start our own commercial Short Track team, too. 

“There are many long track teams in the Netherlands so maybe it is something we can get going. We’d like to get to the next level, using the interest we have from sponsors. 

“We’d like to see more Short Track skaters get paid because we are seeing people drop out of the sport. It would be great if we can get all the men and women on the team paid.

“Melle is doing really well. He’s gained a bit of off-season weight but he’s looking very strong on the bike. He’s going to be a threat next season, especially in the 500m.”

Back to training 

“We started training on the bike again in mid-April. We are now doing a lot of rides and weights, getting the engine started again. 

“I’m trying to gain some weight. After the Olympics I was 67kg. Now I’m more like 73kg. I’ve put on a bit of body, so I’ll see how my skating reacts to that. 

“Hopefully it will help me keep my energy through the season, and to fight more on the ice. I’m a scrawnier build than most, so when I fight Hwang (Daeheon) or (Liu) Shaoang, the weight isn’t to my advantage. But I want to stay nimble too.

“July 13 is our first time back on the ice. It’s not hard for me to find motivation post-Olympics. I’m almost more motivated now. I’ve had confirmation of what is possible. I raced tactically how I wanted.

“I want to attack the 1000m world record (1:20.875, set by Hwang). It’s a super sharp time, so it’s good to train towards something. And I matched Viktor Ahn at an Olympics, but he did it for two Games in a row, so if I really want to match him, I need to do it again at the next Olympics.”

Dutch life 

“I am moving to a new apartment in Heerenveen soon, a bigger place with more room for my motorcycles, so I’m looking forward to that.

“I’m enjoying the FIFA World Cup, too. My street is covered in orange flags. I’m watching the games and trying to increase my football knowledge. I like Brian Brobbey. He’s very funny. 

“I’m not a big football fan, and at the Olympics I got some headlines and criticism from the Dutch fans for not knowing our history. I didn’t know who Marco van Basten was, so now I’m working on it.”

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