Olympic Siblings Make Competition a Family Affair

Jan. 31, 2014— -- Anyone who has watched the banned Guinness advertisement telling the heart-wrenching story of U.S. biathletes Tracy and Lanny Barnes' quest to compete in the Sochi Olympics together would be hard-pressed not to feel moved by the strength of family bonds.

The emotional video--which has been taken down from the Guinness YouTube page because the brewer is not an Olympic sponsor, but remains viral on other pages--tells the story of how when illness prevented Lanny Barnes from competing in the final trial, her sister Tracy offered up her own spot on the U.S. team. Along with a strategically intense soundtrack, it really brings on the tears.

But not all stories about Olympic siblings are bittersweet ones, nor is it unheard of for brothers and sisters to compete in the same winter event. Here are five more that may inspire future families.

1 - In 1960, Anne-Marie, Marguerite and Thérèse Leduc all competed for France in the women’s slalom, according to Bill Mallon, former president of the International Society of Olympic Historians in a recent blog post detailing the "19 families who have had three or more siblings compete at the Winter Olympics."

2 - Argentina sent three brothers (Marcos Luis, Martín Tomás, Matías José) to compete in 1976 in cross-country skiing, wrote Mallon.

3 - Yet another example of family team spirit was seen in the three Stastny brothers of Czechoslovakia, Anton, Marián, Peter, who all played on the same ice hockey team in 1980.

4 - Mexico can be especially proud of the Tamés brothers. These four Mexican bobsledders (Luis Adrián, Jorge, José and Roberto) together made up two teams and took home the "four national slots in the 1988 Games," according to Mallon.

5 - This year, all eyes will be on a trio of Canadians to see if genes prevail on the slopes. The Dufour-Lapointe sisters (Chloé, Justine, and Maxime) will compete in the freestyle skiing category, with all three women focusing on moguls.