Dutch star Jens van 't Wout shares Olympic podium with his brother and feels like he won the lottery

MILAN (AP) — Dutch short track speedskating star Jens van ’t Wout already has two gold medals at the Milan Cortina Olympics, but Wednesday’s bronze medal felt like winning the lottery.

That’s because he ended up on the podium with his older brother, Melle van ’t Wout.

“We always used to say, ‘Imagine if,’ like in the context of if I win the lottery,” Jens van ’t Wout said. “If it ever happens, it’s a fairy-tale story, that is how we thought about it.”

The brothers finished behind Canadian Steven Dubois in the 500 meters on Wednesday, with Melle van ’t Wout beating out his sibling for silver.

They gave each other a huge hug after crossing the line before doing a celebratory lap, carrying the Netherlands flag and then embracing their parents, who leaned over from the stands.

Jens van ’t Wout won gold in the 1,500 meters and the 1,000 in Milan, but it was a first Olympic medal for Melle van ’t Wout, who returned this season from a serious knee injury that required surgery and kept him out for nearly two years.

“After his injury, we were kind of like, OK, this season is basically done for him, just train as hard as you can, get fit, see if you can get back for the post-Olympic season,” Jens van ’t Wout said. “And then all of a sudden, he made the world tour team for the Netherlands.

“And then we kind talked about it like ‘OK, we weren’t expecting this. Like, this is amazing … Now you just have fun.’ And then this dude just gets an Olympic medal.”

Melle van ’t Wout interjected with a broad smile: “I’ve been having a lot of fun.”

The van ’t Wouts aren’t the first short track siblings to share a podium. They said they were inspired by Shaoang Liu and his older brother Shaolin Sándor Liu, who represented Hungary and now China.

The Liu brothers shared a number of podiums in the world and European championships but were only on the Olympic podium together as part of a relay team.

“It’s unbelievable. We’ve had this goal since we were boys,” Melle van ’t Wout said. “We saw Shaolin and Shaoang do it for years. That even made our goal even bigger. And the fact that we did it is unbelievable.”

The double podium came on Melle van ’t Wout’s 26th birthday.

“The best part is that we did it together, on my birthday. I mean, it’s a dream come true,” Melle van ’t Wout said.

His 24-year-old brother was spared a shopping trip.

“I didn’t have a present yet, so ... yeah, that’s his present,” Jens said as the brothers burst into laughter.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

From left to right, silver medalist Melle van 't Wout of the Netherlands, gold medalist Steven Dubois of Canada and bronze medalist Jens van 't Wout of the Netherlands receive their medals after the short track speed skating men's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Silver medalist Melle van 't Wout of the Netherlands jumps to the podium to receive his medal after the short track speed skating men's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Melle van 't Wout of the Netherlands wins silver, right, and Jens van 't Wout of the Netherlands wins bronze during the short track speed skating men's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Silver medalist Melle van 't Wout of the Netherlands and bronze medalist Jens van 't Wout of the Netherlands greet supporters in the stands after the short track speed skating men's 500m final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Melle van 't Wout of the Netherlands wins silver, right, and Jens van 't Wout of the Netherlands wins bronze during the short track speed skating men's 500m at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

The group of 15 backcountry skiers headed out on a three-day trek organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides into pristine wilderness near Frog Lake in California's Sierra Nevada as a powerful winter storm moved into the state.

The skiers on Sunday made their way to remote huts situated at 7,600 feet (3,415 meters) in Tahoe National Forest, carrying their own food and supplies. At 6:49 a.m. that same morning, the Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch for the area, indicating that large slides were likely in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Two days later, as the group was making its way back out to a trailhead and the center increased the watch to a warning, an avalanche hit near Castle Peak, trapping the skiers. Authorities said Wednesday that eight people were killed and one person remained missing. Six skiers were rescued after sheltering in place for hours as search crews battled blizzard conditions.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said investigators were looking into the decision to proceed with the trip on Sunday despite the forecast for a major storm.

“We’re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made,” Moon said at a Wednesday news conference announcing the deaths.

Before the disaster, the tour company said its guides were highly skilled in dealing with extreme conditions and that it offered avalanche education. It’s not known if the guides would have known about the avalanche warning as they returned to the trailhead.

“If you’ve booked the Frog Lake Huts in Truckee, trust our guides to elevate your trip to the next level,” the business said on its website, advertising the trip. “We’ll navigate in and out of the huts, manage the risks, and find the best terrain and snow quality for you and your group!”

Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement Tuesday that it was coordinating with authorities. Three of the guides were among those killed, officials said.

The company, with offices in California and Washington state, offers mountaineering and backcountry ski trips across the U.S. West Coast as well as in Europe and Japan. The tour outfit also offers safety courses like wilderness skills and first aid.

The rugged terrain where the skiers died had been closed to the public for a century before the Truckee Donner Land Trust bought it and opened the huts, which are outfitted with basic accommodations such as sleeping pads, gas stoves and flush toilets.

The tour, which cost $1,165.00 per person, was rated for intermediate-to-expert skiers with at least 20 days of backcountry experience who should be prepared to climb up to 2,500 vertical feet (760 meters) throughout the course of a day, according to the company’s website. Guides carry first aid kits and “wag bags” for human waste disposal, but participants must bring their own ski equipment and avalanche gear, including a beacon, shovel and probe.

“Generally our guides are able to find excellent backcountry snow conditions, but often we need to travel through difficult conditions to access the goods,” the website description said. “This requires riders to be adept with their backcountry touring skills and have a solid foundation of touring before the trip.”

Rapidly accumulating snow piling on fragile snowpack layers, along with strong winds, contributed to the treacherous conditions this week. The town of Soda Springs, near where the avalanche took place, recorded at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow during a 24-hour period, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.

Anthony Pavlantos, owner of Utah-based Prival USA, makes avalanche safety equipment and runs mountain safety programs. He said often the safest option when severe weather or avalanches hit is to quickly move out of the area, rather than hunker down.

“It was quite likely very necessary for them to leave the backcountry so their hazard wasn’t increased further,” Pavlantos said of the skiers struck by the California avalanche.

Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

Snow covers a road on an underpass along interstate 80 on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon updates media on rescue efforts following an avalanche at a news conference in Nevada City, Calif. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)

Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)

Snow covers a street sign on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)

A road is cleared during a snow storm on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)

A street is covered in snow on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)