Two brothers will compete against each other for different countries in the triathlon at the Beijing Olympics, according to news reports on Wednesday. ( dpa )
Shane Reed, 34, will represent New Zealand, while his brother Matthew, 32, was selected to compete for the United States after winning a trial event at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at the weekend.
Both were born in the New Zealand city of Palmerston North but Matthew moved to the US some years ago and became an American citizen last year. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his American wife and two sons.
"We're really competitive - we have been for many years," Shane told the Dominion Post.
The paper said Matthew had a string of lucrative sponsorship deals but Shane was struggling to make ends meet in his homeland.
"We're kind of living on the breadline at the moment," he told the paper.
"It's been quite tough - my wife has got us through. She's been working in childcare and her income supports me."
The boys' mother, Rosalie Reed, said she could not pick the winner. "I just think it's really great that they've achieved their dream of going to the Olympics. If they did win a medal that would be a bonus."