RIGA, Latvia – Former American International College ice hockey standout Janis Jaks '20 will suit up for his native Latvia at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, marking his second appearance in Olympic play and making him the first Yellow Jackets alumnus in any sport to compete as a player in multiple Olympic Games.

"Janis was always looking to do more: he had a professional approach to his training, he respected the game and what it takes to play at an elite level off the ice, and he took advantage of every opportunity that AIC gave him. The AIC Hockey family would like to congratulate him on his second Olympics. We are extremely proud of his accomplishments," said Head Ice Hockey Coach Patrick Tabb, who was an assistant coach on the AIC staff during Jaks' junior and senior seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Jaks was a four-year star for AIC and made a tremendous impact immediately upon arrival in 2016. Across 135 games, he tallied 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points.

He earned All-Conference honors as a sophomore in 2017-18, and was an All-Tournament Team selection in 2019 as he helped AIC to its first-ever Atlantic Hockey Championship and NCAA Tournament berth, scoring a goal in the title game against Niagara University. AIC subsequently defeated then-No. 1 St. Cloud State University in its NCAA Tournament debut, becoming the first 16th-overall seed to defeat the top-ranked team in its first-ever Tournament contest.

Jaks is no stranger to the international stage, having played for Latvia's national junior teams at the U18 and U20 level as well as on the senior team; in addition to four games at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Jaks has played in eight IIHF World Championships for Latvia, with 16 points in 47 games.

Arguably his most notable international showing was one of the biggest moments in the athletic history of his native Latvia. Jaks scored a goal and then assisted the winning goal in overtime of the Bronze Medal Game against the United States at the 2023 IIHF World Championship, giving his country its first-ever IIHF medal since the small nation joined the Federation in 1931.

Overall, Jaks is the third Yellow Jacket to compete at the Olympics as an athlete and the fifth Yellow Jacket to be part of the Olympics in any fashion.

Vezio Sacratini '91 was the first AIC student-athlete to reach the Olympic stage, playing ice hockey for Italy in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Asnage Castelly '02 wrestled for Haiti during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Two other ice hockey alums participated in the Olympics as officials; Kevin Collins '72 worked as a linesman at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and Tony Sericolo '91 was a linesman for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.