Columbia Southern student awarded Olympic sportmanship honor

Tracy Barnes is enigma in today’s sports world. This elite athlete who has competed in the biathlon on a world-class level for the past 11 years did the unthinkable. She gave up her spot on the United States Olympic team…to her twin sister.

So it was Lanny Barnes, not Tracy, that competed on Valentine’s Day in the women’s 15-kilometer biathlon, a sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

During the U.S. Olympic trials Lanny got sick, battling a 104 degree favor. She missed three of the four qualifying events. When Tracy made the U.S. team without her, she didn’t hesitate to hand over her spot to her sister. Tracy could do it because her sister was the team’s alternate based on Lanny’s overall performance throughout the biathlon season. When Tracy dropped off the team, Lanny was added.

“I knew that the likelihood of her making the team was not good,” Tracy told me during a Skype interview yesterday, “Once I heard Lanny was getting sick that’s when the idea started going through my head.”

Tracy’s sacrifice caught the attention of the national media. She and her twin sister have been featured on television and in several newspapers.

This past Tuesday Tracy and Lanny Barnes were awarded the Pierre de Coubertin trophy for sportsmanship by the International Committee for Fair Play, an international organization founded in 1963 by UNESCO and international sports governing bodies. The Pierre de Coubertin medal, also known as the True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal, is a special decoration awarded to those who exemplify the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events.

“Oh gosh, I was incredibly humbled by that,” said Tracy when asked about the honor. “I can’t even describe what it felt like to be nominated for a such an award.”

What’s next for the Barnes sisters?

“We have some races to finish out this year,” she said. “My sister and I will then decide if we will continue with the sport or not. We are still young enough (31) in this sport that we could go for another Olympics.”

Tracy is an online student with Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach., Ala. It was CSU that helped me connect with her.

What are the chances of getting Tracy and Lanny Barnes to visit the Gulf Coast? Pretty good.

“That would be great,” said Tracy. “Where we go are some really cold places. Coming to a place with sun and a beach sounds really good.”