Maia and Alex Shibutani are the brother-sister duo taking PyeongChang by storm. They keep proving why they’re the ultimate sibling goals.
Every two years, the Olympic Games roll around, and suddenly we’re all experts on sports like diving, gymnastics, figure skating and ski jumping. We develop new (usually short-lived) obsessions with athletes we never heard of until that moment, and we act like we’ve been following their careers since the beginning.
Well, call us bandwagon fans, but our PyeongChang obsession is out in full force, and their names are Maia and Alex Shibutani.
Maia and Alex, known lovingly as the Shib Sibs, are a brother-sister ice dancing duo from the United States. That’s right, they’re brother and sister! We’re so used to falling in love with figure skating couples and praying that one day they’ll fall in love. (Hello, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, we’re still waiting!) The Shib Sibs are so perfect that they’re our ultimate sibling goals instead!
They’ve been making waves in PyeongChang, and even if they aren’t leaving with a gold medal around their necks, they definitely won our hearts — and two bronze medals. Not too shabby!
Not only are they adorably close to one another, but they’re funny, have the most adorable dogs, and, oh yeah, they’re also Olympic-level ice dancers!
So, who do we ask about being adopted into the Shibutani family?
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 12: (BROADCAST-OUT) Bronze medalists Alex Shibutani and Maia Shibutani in the Figure Skating Team Event pose for a portrait on the Today Show Set on February 12, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
They’re adorable
Okay, let’s just get this out there right away: the Shib Sibs are really attractive. Like, really, really good looking. Look at their dewy, perfect skin and those million-dollar smiles.
And of course, they’re Olympic athletes, so they’re definitely in better shape than all of us. When they retire from the ice dancing scene, we can definitely see a future in modeling!
However, what makes them even more adorable is how much they support each other. “They have always been each other’s best friend,” their mother Naomi told TIME. “When they were little, Alex was very protective of Maia. As they have gotten older, I don’t sense any seniority between them. They really are on equal footing.”
You might try to imagine you and your sibling spending that much time together and cringe, but that’s not the case for 26-year-old Alex and 23-year-old Maia. Even though their father says they do fight sometimes (“If they never fought, they wouldn’t be human”), they’re still a team and they stick together no matter what.
They’re insanely talented
You don’t get to the Olympics without being insanely talented. That goes without saying.
The Shib Sibs are three-time World Championship medalists, six-time Grand Prix champions, and came in 9th at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. They’re the second youngest ice dancing team in competition, having snagged the bronze medal both in the team figure skating event and in the individual ice dancing competition. No big deal, right?
Maia and Alex have also earned the nickname “King and Queen of Twizzles” by former Olympic figure skater and current NBC commentator Tara Lipinski, thanks to their awe-inspiring synchronized spins on the ice. I bet you and your siblings aren’t the king and queen of anything nearly as cool.
GANGNEUNG, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 12: Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani of the United States react after their routine in the Figure Skating Team Event – Ice Dance Free Dance on day three of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on February 12, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
They fight against naysayers
Obviously, as a brother and sister dance duo, you can imagine they get a lot of flak from people. Immature comments must happen a lot. Not only that, but sibling duos are more rare in this field of skating because judges often want to see heat and emotion between partners. You can’t exactly expect a steamy dance from siblings!
If the Shib Sibs have proved anything, it’s that even a brother and sister can kill an ice dancing routine and win over the judges. You don’t win gold medals and world championships by accident.
Not only have Maia and Alex proved siblings can be just as powerful ice dancers as any other couple, they’re also paving the way for other Asian-American athletes who may not feel represented in the media. After winning a bronze medal in the figure skating team event on Feb. 12, Alex took to Twitter to express his gratitude.
“When we started skating together, @MaiaShibutani and I didn’t see any teams on the ice that looked like us,” he added. “There weren’t too many sibling teams either.”
“You don’t have to look like anyone else. You don’t have to be, or skate like anyone else. You don’t have to fit the mold or follow the path that everyone else is on. Just find, and be yourself.”
Is it too soon to say Alex Shibutani for president?
They share the cutest throwbacks
We mentioned that Maia and Alex are adorable, but they were somehow even cuter when they were children! Seriously, what is in those Shibutani genes? We’re going to need some.
You would think after spending so much time together practicing and competing, the siblings would be sick of each other, but apparently not. Their Instagrams are full of photos of them hanging out with their dogs, getting food and so many adorable home videos and baby photos. We seriously cannot handle the cuteness!
Does anybody else feel like Maia and Alex are the children all parents dream of? Adorable, (seemingly) well behaved, Olympic medalists. Our poor parents only got us lazy, non-Olympian losers!
They somehow find time to vlog
Those Shibutani kids are crazy! As if they aren’t busy enough traveling the world being internationally known athletes, doing photo shoots, training and taking care of their adorable dogs, they somehow find time to also be YouTubers.
We’re definitely not Olympians, but we can’t even find the time to do laundry.
Maia and Alex like to share their experiences with their fans through their vlogs. Usually, their videos follow their competitions around the world, but they also have vlogs from movie premieres, videos about their family and even your typical YouTube challenges, like a “Get Ready With Me” video from Maia.
We love getting an insight into this delightful family’s life, even for just a few minutes at a time. Maybe it’s time for a Shib Sibs reality show.
Next: Olympics 2018: 8 athletes you should be following on Twitter
What have been your favorite Olympic moments so far at PyeongChang 2018? Let us know in the comments below!