Twin sisters Lanny and Tracy Barnes of Durango, Colo. have been training for years to make the Olympic biathlon team, perfecting their shooting and cross country skiing skills. In 2006, the sisters qualified for the team and competed in Torino. Only Lanny qualified for the team in 2010 and placed 23rd, the best finish for an America biathlete in 16 years. This year, the twins are 31, and both agreed it would be their last attempt to make the Olympic team. But while Tracy earned a spot, Lanny became ill before the final trials and narrowly missed her chance. It looked like she’d be staying home, until Tracy told her she wanted to give up her own spot on the team, moving Lanny onto it.
“She was sick, and I really felt that she was having a great year,” Tracy told John Meyer of the Denver Post. “I really wanted to see where she could take it…and I felt she deserved to go to Russia.” Tracy plans to be in Sochi to watch her sister compete. Sibling rivalry? Lanny and Tracy Barnes have never heard of it.