november-2011

TRIATHLON
world, at the end of the day for us it’s just another
triathlon. We swim, bike and run – and that’s it.”
Their countdown to London 2012 began with
a return to training at the end of October. It’s a regime
which will, for the most part, be conducted together
around the hills and dales of Yorkshire. Visit a café
near Bolton Abbey or Gargrave this winter and you
might catch the Brownlees taking a breather.
It’s not all about shivering through a Northern
winter though – the pair will hop aboard a Jet2.com
flight from Leeds Bradford to Lanzarote in December
for the first of two warm-weather training breaks.
The idea is to sculpt a titanium physique capable
of coping with the contrasting demands of the three
sports. It pays to be light – both are just under 6ft
and weigh a few pounds either side of 10 stone – but
they need the muscle strength of men twice their
size. “You need a balance. If you’re too skinny you
sink and if you’re too heavy you can’t run. We’re
quite lucky in that we seem to stay just skinny
enough,” explains Jonathan.
The fitness regime, which involves burning 5,000
calories a day, has to go to plan or the results can be
alarming. In June 2010 Alistair’s tank ran dry during
the closing stages of the Hyde Park event. From
being part of the leading trio with his brother and
Spain’s Javier Gomez, his main rival for Olympic
gold, he dropped back to 10th. As exhaustion hit,
he staggered over the finishing line, collapsing into
the arms of medical staff.
48JetAway
‘There’s never been a triathlon
team culture, but it’s starting to
happen now. We work together ’
A triathlete’s life is never dull. In June this year,
Alistair took the European championship gold in Spain
despite losing 90 seconds to a puncture. “We were
both in the leading group of cyclists when I got
a puncture,” he recalls. “Jonny slowed down, which
slowed the front pack down, and that gave me the
chance to change my wheel and catch up again.”
This act of sibling loyalty was remarkable in a sport
built on the single-mindedness of its competitors. Says
Jonathan: “It happens all the time in cycling but I’ve
never seen it happen before in triathlon. It was just
instinct. Getting a puncture is unfair and I didn’t
want to beat him by something going wrong for him.
There’s never really been a team culture in triathlon
but it’s starting to get one now. We work together.”
This unique double act is one which could make
headlines around the world next summer. One
Olympic medal is rare; two in the same Olympics
for the same family would be the stuff of fantasy.
“It would be absolutely incredible,” says Jonathan.
“The chances are small because so much can happen
in triathlon, but the unpredictability is what makes it
exciting. We’ll have to wait and see – and hope.”
Neil Squires is a sports writer for the Daily Express
Jonathan Brownlee