DNA, Identical Twins, and Intelligence – Ironic Sports Stories

Twins are a special case.

In my days working at the Forensic Lab, an anomaly or loophole can occur with the DNA results IF the crime was committed by a suspect with an identical twin.  That’s because they have the same DNA!  How can you link the evidence to the crime scene?

At the time (1995), the FBI Forensic Lab used “markers” that could only be unique in 1 out of 3 Billion.  OJ Simpson’s Lawyers were pretty clever.  When they asked how did OJ Simpson’s DNA appeared at the crime scene, they claimed there were 6 Billion people in the world, so therefore that meant TWO PEOPLE could have that DNA profile using PCR technology.  So it must have been the other guy!

At $100K a day in legal fees, you would hope they can get you off.  And they did.  Right Marion?

SIDENOTE: in Canada, you CAN be retried in the same court for the same criminal charge.  (cough cough ** Kelly Ellard ** cough cough)  In the USA, you cannot which explains why OJ’s second trial was a civil suit, where he was found guilty.  Where is that Heisman Trophy now?

London Marathon & Identical Twins

One of the funniest stories abusing the power of identical twins was two twins taking turns running a half marathon for a full marathon distance.  They arranged to switch bibs at the halfway point at a pre-determined portable toilet.

However they wore different watches on different arms!  And they got caught!

To quote the race director:

"One of the hardest scams to uncover was when two identical twins ran half the race each and swapped over at a quiet part of the course.

"They would have got away with it until someone studying the footage noticed that at the start of the race the competitor was wearing a red watch on his right arm – and by the finish was wearing a green watch on his left arm."

Okay, maybe it’s not so funny if someone robs you of prize money.  Just ask Suzy Favor Hamilton.  I thought it was an ingenious way to make a living.

Puerto Rico’s 1984 Olympic 4x400m relay team

Madeline de Jesus was a long jumper and part of the Puerto Rico’s 4x400m relay team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

When she injured herself in the long jump, she asked her twin sister Margaret who was in Los Angeles AS A SPECTATOR to run her second leg in the qualifying round.  Holy Smokes, how many spectators can step up and run a world class 400m?

The Puerto Rico head coach was so furious, he disqualified his own team by not letting them run in the Finals.

In a way, he did the right thing, but I’ll bet the 3 other ladies on the relay squad were more furious.

Tyler Hamilton’s Unborn Fraternal Twin?

And now for the truly bizarre.

How can foreign blood be found in your bloodstream?

Blood doping (the obvious culprit)?

How about an unborn fraternal twin during pregnancy?  Tyler’s lawyers claimed it was Chimera (do a Google search)  which explained the cells were natural and not the result of a blood transfusion solely for the purpose of raising one’s hematocrit.

After his initial two year ban, Tyler failed an out of competition drug test in 2009 for the banned steroid DHEA, which he claimed to be taking for anti-depression purposes.  That was the nail in his coffin with an eight-year ban.