The Canadian Dufour-Lapointe sisters – Chloé, Justine, and Maxime – have qualified for the Canadian 2014 Olympic team in freestyle skiing, specifically in moguls. It appears, barring some unforeseen circumstance, that all three sisters will compete together in freestyle moguls. Has this ever happened before – three siblings competing together in the same Winter Olympic event?
Sorry to disappoint the Dufour-Lapointes, but yes, it has happened before – 5 times, to be precise, but only twice before in individual events.
The first time it happened in an individual event was 1960 in women’s slalom Alpine skiing when the French Leduc sisters (Anne-Marie, Marguerite, Thérèse) all competed together. The next time was in 1976 in men’s 15 km cross-country skiing, when Argentina’s Jerman brothers all competed (Marcos Luis, Martín Tomás, Matías José). But the Dufour-Lapointes can realize that it has been 38 years since this occurred at the Winter Olympics.
The three times it has happened in team events were in 1980 ice hockey when the Šťastný brothers (Anton, Marián, Peter) competed for Czechoslovakia; in the 1988 2-man bobsled when Mexican bobsledders Jorge Tamés and José Tamés made up one Mexican team, and their brothers, Luis Adrián Tamés and Roberto Tamés made up the other Mexican team; and in the 2010 ice dancing event with Chris, Cathy, and Allison Reed, with Chris and Cathy competing for Japan, and Allison for Georgia.
In all, we can trace 19 families who have had 3 or more siblings compete at the Winter Olympics, although in most cases, not in the same event. This group is led by Spain’s Fernández Ochoa siblings (3 brothers, 2 sisters), with 5 siblings. There have been 5 cases of 4 siblings competing at the Winter Olympics, and 13 cases of 3 siblings from the same family.
Below is what we think is the entire list. Now, if you know of others, let us know, because we will admit that this is a difficult query that challenges even our extensive databases. But we think this is complete.
Winter Games – 5 Siblings (1)
Francisco Fernández Ochoa (M/ESP-ASK)
Juan Manuel Fernández Ochoa (M/ESP-ASK)
Luis Fernández Ochoa (M/ESP-ASK)
Blanca Fernández Ochoa (F/ESP-ASK)
Dolores Fernández Ochoa (F/ESP-ASK)
Winter Games – 4 Siblings (5)
Carolina Birkner (F/ARG-ASK)
Ignacio Birkner (F/ARG-ASK)
Magdalena Birkner (F/ARG-ASK)
Jorge Birkner (M/ARG-ASK)
Barbara Cochran (F/USA-ASK)
Lindy Cochran (F/USA-ASK)
Marilyn Cochran (F/USA-ASK)
Bob Cochran (M/USA-ASK)
Arnold Huber (M/ITA-LUG)
Günther Huber (M/ITA-BOB)
Norbert Huber (M/ITA-LUG)
Wilfried Huber (M/ITA-LUG)
Jorge Tamés (M/MEX-BOB)
José Tamés (M/MEX-BOB)
Luis Adrián Tamés (M/MEX-BOB)
Roberto Tamés (M/MEX-BOB)
Józef Pawlusiak (M/POL-NCO)
Stanisław Pawlusiak (M/POL-SKJ)
Tadeusz Pawlusiak (M/POL-SKJ)
Anna Pawlusiak (F/POL-CCS)
Winter Games – 3 Siblings (13)
Anne-Marie Leduc (F/FRA-ASK)
Marguerite Leduc (F/FRA-ASK)
Thérèse Leduc (F/FRA-ASK)
Evi Mittermaier (F/FRG-ASK)
Heidi Mittermaier (F/GER-ASK)
Rosi Mittermaier (F/FRG-ASK)
Gordy Christian (M/USA-ICH)
Rog Christian (M/USA-ICH)
Billy Christian (M/USA-ICH)
Denis Couttet (M/FRA-CCS)
Henri Couttet (M/FRA-ICH)
Marcel Couttet (M/FRA-ICH)
Dieter Delle Karth (M/AUT-BOB)
Walter Delle Karth (M/AUT-BOB)
Werner Delle Karth (M/AUT-BOB)
Jim Holland (M/USA-SKJ)
Joe Holland (M/USA-NCO)
Mike Holland (M/USA-SKJ)
Marcos Luis Jerman (M/ARG-CCS)
Martín Tomás Jerman (M/ARG-CCS)
Matías José Jerman (M/ARG-CCS)
Asbjørn Ruud (M/NOR-SKJ)
Birger Ruud (M/NOR-ASK/SKJ)
Sigmund Ruud (M/NOR-ASK/SKJ)
Cristian Simari Birkner (M/ARG-ASK)
Macarena Simari Birkner (F/ARG-ASK)
María Belén Simari Birkner (F/ARG-ASK)
Anton Šťastný (M/TCH-ICH)
Marián Šťastný (M/TCH-ICH)
Peter Šťastný (M/SVK/TCH-ICH)
Curtis Stevens (M/USA-BOB)
Paul Stevens (M/USA-BOB)
Hubert Stevens (M/USA-BOB)
Jukka Ylipulli (M/FIN-NCO)
Raimo Ylipulli (M/FIN-SKJ)
Tuomo Ylipulli (M/FIN-SKJ)
Cathy Reed (F-JPN-FSK)
Chris Reed (M-JPN-FSK)
Allison Reed (F-GEO-FSK)