skating

Sjinkie Knegt sustained severe burns when lighting the wood stove in his home in Bantega, Friesland on Thursday. The 29-year-old short-track skater was rushed to a hospital in Groningen by ambulance, NOS reports.

Dutch-American skater Carlijn Schoutens will be taking part in the Olympic Games on behalf of the United States. The 23-year-old skater placed with a 3 thousand meters winning time of 4.14,03 in Milwaukee on Tuesday, NU.nl reports.

Schoutens was born in the U.S., but moved to the Netherlands at a young age. She's skated for the Netherlands several times since, but decided to skate under the American flag since the 2014/2015 season.

"This has been a goal for me for a long time. The fact that I achieved it is incredible" Schouten said on Tuesday. 

Lisa van der Geest and Simon Schouten won the season's first skating marathon on natural ice in Noordlaren, Groningen on Wednesday, NU.nl reports.

The women started at 10:00 a.m. with 80 laps on the 333 meter track. After some skirmishes in the first half hour, a strong leading group of eight skaters separated themselves. 23-year-old Van der Geest won. After 80 laps she was the leader of a group of eight who were a lap ahead of the rest of the racers. Emma Engbers got second place, and Irene Schouten - Simon Schouten's sister - took third place. 

Bert Jonker, director of engineering company Clafis, and his family are in hiding after Jonker was the victim of a shooting in Heerenveen on Saturday. Jonker was shot in the hand in the parking lot of the Thialf skating stadium.

The decision to move Jonker and his family to a secret address was made because the suspected gunman in the shooting is still at large, NU.nl reports. The police call on him to turn himself in.