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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Tvillinger i toppidrett – prestasjonsfremmende? : En kvalitativ analyse av tre tvillingpar i håndball på internasjonalt nivå

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Masteroppgave idrettsvitenskap ME517 - Universitetet i Agder 2017 The purpose of this thesis is to identify performance-enhancing factors amongst twins in elite sport. It is well documented that the familial context plays a role in sporting activity and development, but there is little research on how siblings and twins interact with achievement progress in sports. The informants were six Norwegian women, all twins, between 26 and 36 years of age, where everyone is or has been on a high international level in women's handball. Several of the performers are merited, with titles at both club and international level, through participation in the Champions League, European Championships, World Championships and Olympics. By using a semi-structured interview-guide, in-depth interviews with the informants are conducted. The data collection is based on qualitative methods, and the practitioners' experiences are phenomenologically analyzed. After the interviews were completed and structured, it turned out that there were three main categories that emerged: "Sibling relationship", "family structure" and "motivation". The results show that athletes describe the relationship with her twin sister as important for success in elite sport, through support, training, common goals and motivation. The informants describe dual relationship as a mutually dependent relationship, where they jointly push each other forward to achievement progress. Similarity in age means that they have experienced common development and progress, and there is reason to believe that it is a factor that may have contributed positively for the athletes. This study adds new knowledge to the field, and could pave the way for more research on how siblings are mutually interrelated in elite sport. Keywords: Twins, elite sport, performance-enhancing, support, qualitative interviews