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Identical twins and triplets all set to run in Rio marathon

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Identical twins and triplets all set to run in Rio marathon
Triplets - Leila, Liina and Lily Luik - posing for a picture in Tartu, Estonia.

Published: Fri 12 Aug 2016, 4:44 PM

Last updated: Sat 13 Aug 2016, 12:42 AM

To have identical twins in the same Olympic event is rare. To have identical triplets, extraordinary. And to have one set of each competing in the same race is frankly off the scale.
But that is what will happen on Sunday in Rio when Germany's Anna and Lisa Hahner line up against Leila, Liina and Lily Luik of Estonia. "People are going crazy!" said Leila on Thursday, reflecting on the media appetite for stories about the two sets of long-distance sporting sisters.
As the five women conducted rounds of media interviews within a few metres of each other on a rooftop terrace overlooking Rio de Janeiro, they discussed the strategy of sibling marathon running and the challenges for spectators and opponents in telling them apart.
"I think it is a great advantage to have a twin sister because we can support each other and we always think it means we have a double chance of having a good result," said Anna Hahner. "We encourage each other, push each other..."  The 26-year-old Germans, from a small village near Fulda, northeast of Frankfurt, will be competing in the same marathon for only the third time. Normally one runs while the other helps with preparation and interviews and supplies water during the race.
Anna has already run one Rio marathon last year, an experience that might help both of them as they drive themselves through the pain of the 42.2 km (26 miles, 385 yards) in temperatures forecast to reach 28 Celsius (82 Fahrenheit).

By Reuters

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United States' Missy Franklin wears gloves as she prepares for a women's 200-meter backstroke semifinal during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
United States' Missy Franklin wears gloves as she prepares for a women's 200-meter backstroke semifinal during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

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