The IOC has tweeted this morning about twins that have competed at the Olympics (although they added an Olympic and non-Olympic twin in Gracie Gold and her sister, Carly). This can be found at http://hub.olympic.org/share/news/78

They listed 13 “Olympic” twins. Sorry, but we can do a bit better. Here is the list of the 200 known twins that have competed at the Olympics, broken up by type of twin and then alphabetically by nation.

Fraternal Twin Brothers

• Jesús Centeno (ESP / MOP)

Leopoldo Centeno (ESP / MOP)

• Phil Mahre (USA / ASK)

Steve Mahre (USA / ASK)

The Mahre Twins
Fraternal Twin Siblings (sister listed first)

• Carolina Birkner (ARG / ASK)

Ignacio Birkner (ARG / ASK)

• Antonia Becherer (FRG / FSK)

Ferdinand Becherer (FRG / FSK)

• Karin Künzle (SUI / FSK)

Christian Künzle (SUI / FSK)

• Anita Zarnowiecki (SWE / SWI)

Bernt Zarnowiecki (SWE / SWI)

 

Fraternal Twin Sisters

• Katrine Lunde Haraldsen (NOR / HAN)

Kristine Lunde-Borgersen (NOR / HAN)

• Vida Ryan (RSA / HOK)

Vidette Ryan (RSA / HOK)

 

Identical Twin Brothers

• Alberto Sabbione (ARG / HOK)

Jorge Sabbione (ARG / HOK)

• Remo Sansonetti (AUS / CYC)

Sal Sansonetti (AUS / CYC)

• Geoff Stewart (AUS / ROW)

James Stewart (AUS / ROW)

• John Anderson (AUS / SAI)

Tom Anderson (AUS / SAI)

• Jules Crickx (BEL / ROW)

Julien Crickx (BEL / ROW)

• Kevin Borlée (BEL / ATH)

Jonathan Borlée (BEL / ATH)

The Borlee Twins

• Aluísio Marsili (BRA / WAP)

Arnaldo Marsili (BRA / WAP)

• Axel Preben-Schmidt (BRA / SAI)

Erik Preben-Schmidt (BRA / SAI)

• Khristo Etropolski (BUL / FEN)

Vasil Etropolski (BUL / FEN)

• Plamen Petkov (BUL / GYM)

Rumen Petkov (BUL / GYM)

• Georgi Bratoev (BUL / VOL)

Valentin Bratoev (BUL / VOL)

• Colin Morgan (CAN / JUD)

Keith Morgan (CAN / JUD)

• Mark Evans (CAN / ROW)

Mike Evans (CAN / ROW)

• Robert Hay (CAN / ROW)

Strathy Hay (CAN / ROW)

• Marcel Tremblay (CAN / SSK)

Robert Tremblay (CAN / SSK)

• Matt Hindle (CAN / BOB)

Ben Hindle (CAN / BOB)

• Ricardo Roach (CHI / ATH)

Rodrigo Roach (CHI / ATH)

• Yerko Araya (CHI / ATH)

Edward Araya (CHI / ATH)

• Li Dashuang (CHN / GYM)

Li Xiaoshuang (CHN / GYM)

• Neven Žugaj (CRO / WRE)

Nenad Žugaj (CRO / WRE)

• Petr Štercl (CZE / CAN)

Pavel Štercl (CZE / CAN)

• Jan Vetešník (CZE / ROW)

Ondřej Vetešník (CZE / ROW)

• Kaj Frederiksen (DEN / BOX)

Viggo Frederiksen (DEN / BOX)

• Håkan Nyblom (DEN / WRE)

Anders Nyblom (DEN / WRE)

• Toomas Tõniste (EST / SAI)

Tõnu Tõniste (EST / SAI)

• Sergey Pleshakov (EUN / HOK)

Vladimir Pleshakov (EUN / HOK)

• Yury Pimenov (EUN / ROW)

Nikolay Pimenov (EUN / ROW)

• Jarmo Övermark (FIN / WRE)

Kari Övermark (FIN / WRE)

• Claude Hauet (FRA / HOK)

Jean Hauet (FRA / HOK)

• Charles Imbault (FRA / HOK)

Paul Imbault (FRA / HOK)

• Edmond Faure (FRA / WRE)

Maurice Faure (FRA / WRE)

• Pascal Barré (FRA / ATH)

Patrick Barré (FRA / ATH)

• Jacques Vernier (FRA / ATH)

Jean Vernier (FRA / ATH)

• François Rozenthal (FRA / ICH)

Maurice Rozenthal (FRA / ICH)

• Jean-Jacques Rebière (FRA / CYC)

Jean-Marc Rebière (FRA / CYC)

• Matthias Seack (FRG / CAN)

Oliver Seack (FRG / CAN)

• Michael Roth (FRG / HAN)

Ulrich Roth (FRG / HAN)

• Günter Kilian (FRG / WAP)

Horst Kilian (FRG / WAP)

• John Howard (FSM / ATH)

Jack Howard (FSM / ATH)

• Paul Ceesay (GAM / ATH)

Peter Ceesay (GAM / ATH)

• Stanley McMeekan (GBR / BAS)

Sydney McMeekan (GBR / BAS)

• Jack Wardrop (GBR / SWI)

Bert Wardrop (GBR / SWI)

• Adrian Jardine (GBR / SAI)

Stuart Jardine (GBR / SAI)

• Christopher Chavasse (GBR / ATH)

Noel Chavasse (GBR / ATH)

• Denis Murray (GBR / ATH)

Jack Murray (GBR / ATH)

• Ullrich Dießner (GDR / ROW)

Walter Dießner (GDR / ROW)

• Bernd Landvoigt (GDR / ROW)

Jörg Landvoigt (GDR / ROW)

• Jörg Freimuth (GDR / ATH)

Uwe Freimuth (GDR / ATH)

• Hans Thomson (GER / FEN)

Julius Thomson (GER / FEN)

• Erich Wied (GER / GYM)

Theo Wied (GER / GYM)

• Bengt Zikarsky (GER / SWI)

Björn Zikarsky (FRG / SWI)

• Holger Blume (GER / ATH)

Marc Blume (GER / ATH)

• Markus Dieckmann (GER / BVO)

Christoph Dieckmann (GER / BVO)

• Jochen Kühner (GER / ROW)

Martin Kühner (GER / ROW)

• Nikos Gointoulas (GRE / ROW)

Apostolos Gointoulas (GRE / ROW)

• Kwong Choi Chow (HKG / CYC)

Kwong Man Chow (HKG / CYC)

• György Szebeny (HUN / ROW)

Miklós Szebeny (HUN / ROW)

• Szabolcs Detre (HUN / SAI)

Zsolt Detre (HUN / SAI)

• András Gergely (HUN / ICH)

László Gergely (HUN / ICH)

• Albert Sutanto (INA / SWI)

Felix Sutanto (INA / SWI)

• Haukur Clausen (ISL / ATH)

Örn Clausen (ISL / ATH)

• Kraig Singleton (ISV / SWI)

Kristan Singleton (ISV / SWI)

• Francesco Giovanelli (ITA / SAI)

Guido Giovanelli (ITA / SAI)

• Giuliano Oberti (ITA / SAI)

Massimo Oberti (ITA / SAI)

• Giorgio Damilano (ITA / ATH)

Maurizio Damilano (ITA / ATH)

• Antonio Selvaggio (ITA / ATH)

Piero Selvaggio (ITA / ATH)

• Lorenzo Giacomo Bodini (ITA / SAI)

Marco Bruno Bodini (ITA / SAI)

• Mal Spence (JAM / ATH)

Mel Spence (JAM / ATH)

• Saburo Sato (JPN / SAI)

Tsutomu Sato (JPN / SAI)

• Shigeru So (JPN / ATH)

Takeshi So (JPN / ATH)

• Kenji Ogiwara (JPN / NCO)

Tsugiharu Ogiwara (JPN / NCO)

• Masaichi Kinoshita (JPN / BIA)

Shoichi Kinoshita (JPN / BIA)

• Kenichi Yumoto (JPN / WRE)

Shinichi Yumoto (JPN / WRE)

• Kipkoech Cheruiyot (KEN / ATH)

Charles Cheruiyot (KEN / ATH)

• Kšištof Lavrinovič (LTU / BAS)

Darjuš Lavrinovič (LTU / BAS)

• Darius Škarnulis (LTU / ATH)

Donatas Škarnulis (LTU / ATH)

• Mauricio de la Lama (MEX / SAI)

Víctor de la Lama (MEX / SAI)

• Babsie Podestá (MLT / WAP)

Wilfred Podestá (MLT / WAP)

• Jan Snijders (NED / JUD)

Peter Snijders (NED / JUD)

• Ben Kouwenhoven (NED / SAI)

Jan Kouwenhoven (NED / SAI)

• Erik Vollebregt (NED / SAI)

Sjoerd Vollebregt (NED / SAI)

• Tycho Muda (NED / ROW)

Vincent Muda (NED / ROW)

• Ibo Oziti (NGR / WRE)

Joe Oziti (NGR / WRE)

• Davidson Ezinwa (NGR / ATH)

Osmond Ezinwa (NGR / ATH)

• Erling Maartmann (NOR / FTB)

Rolf Maartmann (NOR / FTB)

• Grzegorz Skrzecz (POL / BOX)

Paweł Skrzecz (POL / BOX)

• Henryk Trzciński (POL / ROW)

Mariusz Trzciński (POL / ROW)

• Józef Lipień (POL / WRE)

Kazimierz Lipień (POL / WRE)

• Dionísio Castro (POR / ATH)

Domingos Castro (POR / ATH)

• Pedro Miguel Curvelo (POR / ATH)

Paulo Miguel Curvelo (POR / ATH)

• João Vieira (POR / ATH)

Sérgio Vieira (POR / ATH)

• McWilliams Arroyo (PUR / BOX)

McJoe Arroyo (PUR / BOX)

• Geza Szabo (ROU / ICH)

Iuliu Szabo (ROU / ICH)

• Dmitry Dubrovsky (RUS / NCO)

Stanislav Dubrovsky (RUS / NCO)

• Predrag Filipović (SCG / ATH)

Nenad Filipović (SRB / ATH)

• Jože Poklukar (SLO / BIA)

Matjaž Poklukar (SLO / BIA)

• Roland Stocker (SUI / ROW)

Peter Stocker (SUI / ROW)

• Mikuláš Konopka (SVK / ATH)

Miloslav Konopka (SVK / ATH)

• Pavol Hochschorner (SVK / CAN)

Peter Hochschorner (SVK / CAN)

The Hochschorners

• Eric Carlberg (SWE / FEN-MOP-SHO)

Vilhelm Carlberg (SWE / SHO)

• Arne Borg (SWE / SWI)

Åke Borg (SWE / SWI)

• Erik Söderlund (SWE / ATH)

Åke Söderlund (SWE / ATH)

• Arvid Sjöqvist (SWE / SAI)

Fritz Sjöqvist (SWE / SAI)

• Christer Abrahamsson (SWE / ICH)

Thommy Abrahamsson (SWE / ICH)

• Mattias Eriksson (SWE / ARC)

Niklas Eriksson (SWE / ARC)

• Hans Andersson-Tvilling (SWE / ICH)

Stig Andersson-Tvilling (SWE / ICH)

• Daniel Sedin (SWE / ICH)

Henrik Sedin (SWE / ICH)

• František Tikal (TCH / ICH)

Steve Tikal (AUS / ICH)

• Panus Ariyamongkol (THA / ATH)

Surapong Ariyamongkol (THA / ATH)

• Chih Chin-Long (TPE / TTN)

Chih Chin-Shui (TPE / TTN)

• Adil Atan (TUR / WRE)

İrfan Atan (TUR / WRE)

• Nihattin Koca (TUR / CCS)

Saim Koca (TUR / CCS)

• Jagdish Singh Kapoor (UGA / HOK)

Upkar Singh Kapoor (UGA / HOK)

• Valeriy Sydorenko (UKR / BOX)

Volodymyr Sydorenko (UKR / BOX)

• Anatoly Beloglazov (URS / WRE)

Sergey Beloglazov (URS / WRE)

• Boris Mayorov (URS / ICH)

Yevgeny Mayorov (URS / ICH)

• Randy Dean (USA / HAN)

Robert Dean (USA / HAN)

• Eugene Clark (USA / ROW)

Thomas Clark (USA / ROW)

• Art McKinlay (USA / ROW)

John McKinlay (USA / ROW)

• Ed Banach (USA / WRE)

Lou Banach (USA / WRE)

• Dave Hazewinkel (USA / WRE)

Jim Hazewinkel (USA / WRE)

• Dennis Koslowski (USA / WRE)

Duane Koslowski (USA / WRE)

• Jim Scherr (USA / WRE)

Bill Scherr (USA / WRE)

• Sumner White (USA / SAI)

Ed White (USA / SAI)

• Alvin Harrison (USA / ATH)

Calvin Harrison (USA / ATH)

• Morgan Hamm (USA / GYM)

Paul Hamm (USA / GYM)

The Hamm twins

• Darrin Steele (USA / BOB)

Dan Steele (USA / BOB)

• Tom Brands (USA / WRE)

Terry Brands (USA / WRE)

• Bob Bryan (USA / TEN)

Mike Bryan (USA / TEN)

• Brett Camerota (USA / NCO)

Eric Camerota (USA / NCO)

• Tyler Winklevoss (USA / ROW)

Cameron Winklevoss (USA / ROW)

• Javier Molina (USA / BOX)

Oscar Molina (MEX / BOX)

• Ross James (USA / ROW)

Grant James (USA / ROW)

• Vladimir Shayslamov (UZB / CAN)

Sergey Shayslamov (UZB / CAN)

• Zlatko Vujović (YUG / FTB)

Zoran Vujović (YUG / FTB)

• Nenad Miloš (YUG / SWI)

Predrag Miloš (YUG / SWI)

 

Identical Twin Sisters

• Etel Sánchez (ARG / SYN)

Sofía Sánchez (ARG / SYN)

• Patricia Lorenz (AUT / HOK)

Regina Lorenz (AUT / HOK)

• Paula Lewin (BER / SAI)

Peta Lewin (BER / SAI)

• Veronika Pavlovich (BLR / TTN)

Viktoriya Pavlovich (BLR / TTN)

• Nataliya Zyatikova (BLR / CCS)

Vera Zyatikova (BLR / CCS)

• Carolina Moraes (BRA / SYN)

Isabela Moraes (BRA / SYN)

• Galina Tancheva (BUL / RGY)

Vladislava Tancheva (BUL / RGY)

• Penny Vilagos (CAN / SYN)

Vicky Vilagos (CAN / SYN)

• Sharon Firth (CAN / CCS)

Shirley Firth (CAN / CCS)

• Rhoda Wurtele-Eaves (CAN / ASK)

Rhona Wurtele (CAN / ASK)

• Julie Sutton-Skinner (CAN / CUR)

Jodie Sutton (CAN / CUR)

• Huang Ting (CHN / RGY)

Huang Ying (CHN / RGY)

• Li Duihong (CHN / SHO)

Li Shuanghong (CHN / SHO)

• Shen Guoqin (CHN / SSK)

Shen Zhenshu (CHN / SSK)

• Zhang Yu (CHN / BAS)

Zhang Wei (CHN / BAS)

• Jiang Tingting (CHN / SYN)

Jiang Wenwen (CHN / SYN)

• Ana Zaninović (CRO / TKW)

Lucija Zaninović (CRO / TKW)

• Heba Abdel Gawad (EGY / SYN)

Sara Abdel Gawad (EGY / SYN)

• Isabel Checa (ESP / ATH)

Dolores Checa (ESP / ATH)

• Dorota Tlałka-Mogore (FRA / ASK)

Małgorzata Tlałka-Mogore (FRA / ASK)

• Béatrice Mouthon (FRA / TRI)

Isabelle Mouthon-Michellys (FRA / TRI)

• Ann Osgerby (GBR / SWI)

Janet Osgerby (GBR / SWI)

• Susan Tooby (GBR / ATH)

Angela Tooby (GBR / ATH)

• Anja Pyritz (GER / ROW)

Dana Pyritz (GER / ROW)

• Birgit Rockmeier (GER / ATH)

Gabi Rockmeier (GER / ATH)

• Kerstin Kowalski-El-Qalqili (GER / ROW)

Manja Kowalski (GER / ROW)

• Antoinette Gauthier (HAI / ATH)

Rose-Marie Gauthier (HAI / ATH)

• Ágnes Miskó (HUN / GYM)

Zsuzsa Miskó (HUN / GYM)

• Éva Biszku (HUN / VOL)

Zsuzsa Biszku (HUN / VOL)

• Katalin Bácsics (HUN / SAI)

Krisztina Bácsics (HUN / SAI)

• Ayman Kozhakhmetova (KAZ / ATH)

Sholpan Kozhakhmetova (KAZ / ATH)

• Helen Ritter (LIE / ATH)

Maria Ritter (LIE / ATH)

• Rasa Polikevičiūtė (LTU / CYC)

Jolanta Polikevičiūtė (LTU / CYC)

• Marianne Muis (NED / SWI)

Mildred Muis (NED / SWI)

• Melanie de Lange (NED / STK)

Maureen de Lange (NED / STK)

• Bianca van der Velden (NED / SYN)

Sonja van der Velden (NED / SYN)

• Anne Nymark Andersen (NOR / FTB)

Nina Nymark Andersen (NOR / FTB)

• Georgina Evers-Swindell (NZL / ROW)

Caroline Evers-Swindell (NZL / ROW)

The Evers-Swindell Twins

• Margaret de Jesús (PUR / ATH)

Madeline de Jesús (PUR / ATH)

• Alenka Orel (SLO / SAI)

Janja Orel (SLO / SAI)

• Stefanie Marty (SUI / ICH)

Julia Marty (SUI / ICH)

• Laura Benz (SUI / ICH)

Sara Benz (SUI / ICH)

• Lívia Allárová (SVK / SYN)

Lucia Allárová (SVK / SYN)

• Dana Velďáková (SVK / ATH)

Jana Velďáková (SVK / ATH)

• Christina Gustafsson (SWE / SHO)

Margareta Gustafsson (SWE / SHO)

• Catarina Eklund (SWE / BIA)

Christina Eklund (SWE / BIA)

• Jenny Kallur (SWE / ATH)

Susanna Kallur (SWE / ATH)

• Hsieh Shu-Ting (TPE / SWI)

Hsieh Shu-Tzu (TPE / SWI)

• Gözde Kırdar (TUR / VOL)

Özge Kırdar (TUR / VOL)

• Valj Semerenko (UKR / BIA)

Vita Semerenko (UKR / BIA)

• Tami Jameson (USA / HAN)

Toni Jameson (USA / HAN)

• Betsy McCagg (USA / ROW)

Mary McCagg (USA / ROW)

• Karen Josephson (USA / SYN)

Sarah Josephson (USA / SYN)

• Tracy Barnes (USA / BIA)

Lanny Barnes (USA / BIA)

• Jocelyne Lamoureux (USA / ICH)

Monique Lamoureux (USA / ICH)

• Sandy Chick (ZIM / HOK)

Sonia Robertson (ZIM / HOK)

So, let’s look at this list of the 200 known twins a bit more. 166 of them competed in the Summer Olympics and 34 in the Winter Olympics. There has yet to be a mixed twin set at the Olympics, i.e., one competing in the Summer and one competing in the Winter Olympics.

There have been 2 sets of fraternal twin brothers and 2 sets of fraternal twin sisters, along with 4 sets of fraternal twin siblings (sister/brother).

All the twins have competed in the same sport – only the Swedish Carlberg twin brothers (Eric / Vilhelm) come close to breaking this rule. Vilhelm competed in shooting, while Erich competed in three sports – fencing, shooting, and modern pentathlon.

Oddly, there have been four sets of twins competing for different nations. Two don’t really count because they are so politically related – Bengt and Björn Zikarsky in swimming competed for Germany, and West Germany, respectively; while Predrag and Nenad Filipović in athletics competed for Serbia & Montenegro and Serbia, respectively.

However, ice hockey players František and Zdeněk “Steve” Tikal competed for Czechoslovakia and Australia respectively, and actually played against each other once in 1960, with Czechoslovakia winning, 18-1. And there is the case of Mexican twin brothers, Javier and Oscar Molina, who boxed for the United States and Mexico, respectively, Javier competing in 2008 and Oscar in 2012.