Dutch staker Sven Roes was last seen filling up his car at a petrol station on Saturday afternoon. By evening, he was nowhere to be found. No one was able to contact him after that, and his disappearance sparked concern. It has now been 41 hours, and police are continuing an extensive search for Roes, with several of his Dutch Olympic teammates also joining the effort.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Xandra Velzeboer took to Instagram to plead for information about her compatriot.

“PLEASE SHARE!” read the statement on Velzeboer’s Instagram story. “Missing: Sven Roes, 26, a TeamNL short-track speed skater. He was last seen in Muiden near the Shell station at 4:10 PM. Please share this post, and if anyone has any information, call 06-21413834. On June 27, 2026, he last departed Oosterzee at 3:15 PM in a white Mitsubishi ASX with TeamNL branding. He was last spoken to at 7:03 PM.”

According to reports from Dutch news outlets, Roes was last seen almost two days ago, prompting an urgent search. However, police have not yet confirmed whether they are treating the case as a missing person investigation and have released no further information.

Three-time Olympic medalist Jens van’ t Wout and his brother, Melle, also reposted the message in the hope of receiving any information about Roes.

The 26-year-old is a short-track speed skater who competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he finished 14th in the men’s 1500m and seventh in the 5000m relay. Since then, though, injuries have repeatedly interrupted his career.

His injury troubles began in 2021, when an ankle injury forced him to withdraw from the World Cup in the Netherlands, denying him the chance to compete in front of his home fans. He then underwent surgery on his right hip in October 2022, which kept him sidelined for nearly a year. Most recently, another hip injury required surgery in January, ruling him out of the 2026 Milan Olympics.

Despite those setbacks, Roes has continued to perform whenever fit, winning silver at the 2022 World Championships and another silver at the 2025 European Championships. That is why his latest injury, which ruled him out of Milan, was such a disappointment.

For now, though, the focus remains on finding Roes safely. As the search entered its second day, support continued to pour in from across Dutch speed skating. Alongside his teammates, the country’s governing body also issued a statement, expressing its concern and urging respect for the family’s privacy.

Dutch skating union’s message to Sven Roes’ loved ones 

The Dutch skating federation, KNSB, also addressed the situation with an official statement.

“We were deeply shocked to hear that Sven Roes has been reported missing,” KNSB said in a statement as per NlTimes. “Sven is a member of TeamNL Short Track. We are staying in contact with his family and hope to have positive news soon.

“Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not comment on questions or speculation. We wish Sven’s girlfriend and family strength during this uncertain time,” the statement further read.

As of Monday, there had been no official update on Roes’ whereabouts. Police continue to search for the 26-year-old, while teammates, the Dutch skating federation, and the wider speed skating community remain hopeful that he will be found safe.