Identical triplets to compete against each other in Rio Olympics

Leila, Liina and Lily

 

A set of identical triplets will make history at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as they compete against each other in the women’s marathon.

Leila, Liina and Lily Luik will all represent Estonia in the August games, hoping not only to make history as the first triplets to compete against each other at the games, but also to clinch medals for their country.
Twins competing in the same event is not uncommon at the Olympic Games. Triplets however haven’t competed against each other at the Olympics before, and the Luiks are believed to be te first identical triplets to do so.
The sisters live separately in Estonia and sometimes have to train apart. But they regularly spend winters together at a high-altitude training camp in Kenya.

 

The sisters used the slogan “Trio to Rio” as their motivation to qualify for the Rio showdown.
Leila, the oldest of the triplets, has the fastest personal best at 2:37.12, set in Shanghai in 2013. She is followed by Liina, whose personal best is two minutes and 30 seconds slower and Lily, the youngest, who is a further 45 seconds back.
All three say their goal for the Rio games is to finish together, to set personal bests and to finish with a smile.