Freestyle Canadian Skiers Maxime, Chloe and Justine Dufour-Lapointe are about to become only the second trio of sisters and only the fifth siblings to compete in the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The three Leduc sisters from France simpered in the 1980 women’s slalom – when the Winter Games were held in the same years as the Summer Games- and the Jerman brothers from Argentina competed in Cross country Alpine skiing in 1976.
Three Stastny brothers from Czechoslovakia played Olympic ice hockey in 1980 and four Tames brothers made up the Mexican bobsled team in 1988 in Seoul. The Stastny brothers defected to Canada and their move has been credited as being the catalyst for more European players to head to Canada and the USA.
Peter Stastny had the most successful career scoring 450 goals and 789 assists in a 15-year NHL career that included spells with New Jersey and St. Louis before he retired in 1995. Brother Anton also had a strong career, scoring 636 points in a nine-year career with the Quebec Nordiques. Younger brother Marian, who the two initially left behind in Czechoslovakia, arrived in North America in 1981 and managed 294 points in 322 games during a five-year career with Quebec and Toronto.
The three girls from Canada about to make history are inseparable. Chloe will be competing in her second Olympics where she finished fifth in her event. Apparently skiing started out as only a winter hobby when the weather prevented them sailing. Now that pastime sees them creating a piece of Olympic history.
