German marathon running twin sisters Anna and Lisa Hahner have been harshly criticised by the Sports Director of the German Athletics Association, bild.de reports today, August 15, 2016. The twins reached the finish line holding hands at places 81 and 82 of the Olympic Marathon in Rio. They arrived 21 minutes after the winner Jemima Sumgong (Kenya) in 2:24:04, which is a result some 15 minutes slower than their personal best time.

They have been criticised for not taking the competition seriously and for not being fair to other German athletes. Sports Director Thomas Kurschilgen said: “They seemed as if they were running a recreational race, not the final race at the Olympics.” He added that their performance was a “Punch in the face for other German athletes.”

The twins reacted via Facebook and said that they also hoped for a better result at the Olympics, but that the race was one of the highlights of their career. “We want to share our running experiences, whoever isn’t interested, may dislike the page.”

The squabbling continued in the comment section of the twins Facebook post.