Meet The “Trio To Rio,” The Identical Triplets Making History At This Summer’s Olympic Games

The world will be watching 30-year-old triplets Leila, Liina, and Lily Luik when they compete in the Olympic women's marathon.
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There are three names you'll be hearing a lot during the upcoming Rio Summer Games: Leila, Liina, and Lily Luik. Together, they go by the name "Trio to Rio." They're triplets and runners from Estonia, and they've qualified to compete in the women's marathon at the Rio Summer Games. Yes, *three* Olympians in one family. According to the New York Times, they're believed to be the first set of triplets to ever qualify for the Olympics. It's a pretty incredible feat. Estonia is a tiny, Baltic nation—seriously tiny: it has a population of only 1.3 million—and the Luik sisters will be the only three athletes representing the nation in the women's marathon on August 14 (the Olympics only allow each country to have three athletes per marathon).

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In a profile with the Times, the 30-year-old identical Luik sisters told their story. They were born a month premature, and Lily said they've had to "fight to survive" since they were born. Since the age of 24, the triplets have been serious runners. While all three of them have met the marathon qualifying time of 2 hours and 45 minutes, they're not expected to medal. Leila has the quickest personal best at 2 hours and 37 minutes, but the Olympic record is much faster at 2 hours and 23 minutes. But still, they've done well at the Track and Field World Championships in the past, and they have a chance to crack the top 50 at the Olympics.

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The triplets share one coach, and Leila says they push each other, rather than hold each other back, in what isn't really a team sport. There's no passing or teamwork in marathon running—just every woman running for herself. But the Luik sisters are motivated by each other.

“Three together, we get so much energy from each other,” Leila told the Times. “No one wants to be the slowest. We push, push, push.”

They do train separately, just to make sure they're getting the best program for each of their abilities. And Liina said in Rio, they'll each be pushing for their personal bests. They're not afraid to break way from the other sisters.

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“As a sportsman in Rio, it is best to run your personal best,” Liina said. “If you think like a team or like sisters or with your heart, maybe the best way is to finish together. It’s good if we are together. But if I feel my personal best coming, I’ll go.”

A pair of German twins—Anna and Lisa Hahner—will also be running the women's marathon in Rio alongside the triplets. You can follow the Hahner sisters' journey on their Instagram here, and the Trio to Rio here. The women's marathon takes place on August 14 at 8:30 A.M. EST, and you can see the Luik sisters represent Estonia during the Opening Ceremony on August 5. Good luck trying to tell them apart!

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