NEW YORK (AP) – They’re identical twins, rookie New York City police officers and fourth-degree karate black belts.

Twenty-three-year-old sisters Michelle and Teresa Frizziola have been selected to represent the NYPD at the World Police and Fire Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, this summer.

The twins began studying martial arts when they were 7 years old. They rose to third-degree black belt level at 16. They attained fourth-degree black belt status while at the Police Academy in 2007.

And they have won three consecutive USA National Karate Federation championships.

Michelle and Teresa work at different police precincts. One is assigned to Brooklyn and the other to Manhattan.

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Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com

AP-ES-03-03-09 1736EST