Olympics: Canadian sisters doing it for each other

ROSA KHUTOR, Russia - Growing up in a household of three sisters and competing in the same freestyle skiing discipline might have led to sibling rivalry but that wasn't the case with the Dufour-Lapointes of Canada.

The three sisters made history by reaching the Olympic moguls final where the youngest, Justine, 19, emerged with gold, just ahead of the middle child, Chloe, 22.

And even though Maxime, the elder of the group, suffered a disappointing final, finishing in 12th, and last, in the second run, the 24-year-old revealed she was as happy as anyone with her sisters' success.

And the new champion said there was no rivalry in the Dufour-Lapointe household.

"I don't think we ever talk about that, my sister (Chloe) has always been a really good competitor," said Justine.

"Since four years ago, when I saw her at the Vancouver Olympics, I really felt like I wantes to be there like her, with her and live that moment also.

"That was of course my point, I wanted to go on that podium and of course with her it's even better.

"My sister is my best friend and believe it or not, we don't have a rivalry. I'll always be there for her and she'll always be there for me. This is something that I really respect, I don't need rivalry, I prefer someone who'll always be by my side and stick together."

Fighting back tears, Maxime admitted her joy at her sisters' success was slightly tinged with mixed emotions for her own performance.

"You can see me crying (but) it's not sadness, we're all very emotional girls, I am especially and it's just coming out," she said.

"There's no disappointment, I'm going home head up and very proud of everything."

Maxime may have been the first Dufour-Lapointe to start in moguls but she humbly admitted her sisters had outshone her.

"It's their (success), the path that we walked, we did it side by side.

"I'm very proud of them, I'm lucky because I have the two best in the world to learn from and to get just as good as.

"So I can't ask for more, I've been very supportive of them and they've been just as much supportive of me."

Maxime may have not wanted to detract from her sisters' glory but Chloe insisted her older sister was just as important a part of the journey.

"Maxime was the one who led the way, she's the oldest in the family but now we're all equal. We support each other, we help each other and this is the best part of being in the Olympics."

But Chloe, who also competed at the Vancouver Games four years ago, admitted there was something extra special about standing on a podium with her younger sister.

"It happened before in the World Cup but here it's the Olympics, it's the big game, the big world, you have all the pressure in the world on you," she said.