Brownlees on course to land final one-two

 
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Matt Majendie @mattmajendie10 September 2013

In all likelihood a Brownlee brother — probably two — will stand on the podium at the World Triathlon Grand Final in Hyde Park on Sunday.

Just 55 points separate them in the world rankings. Alistair, as has tended to be the norm, leads, marginally ahead of Jonny, but with 1,200 points up for grabs in the final race of the season there is all to play for in one of sport’s more intriguing sibling rivalries.

A little over a year ago, the pair stood on the Olympic podium at the same London venue; Alistair triumphant, bronze medallist Jonathan struggling to stand after overheating at the finish.

The younger Brownlee recalls: “I remember on the podium, all I could think was ‘Get me down from this.’ I’d felt fine at the finishing line but then I just got hotter and hotter.

“I don’t remember the next bit, being taken away in a hospital wheelchair. And there I was in bed with a thermometer while my family were outside. It was a bit of a rubbish experience. It’d be good to have a different one.”

There is every chance the experience will be different this time. There is the psychological boost of having beaten his brother in a sprint in Hamburg earlier in the year, although since then Alistair has resumed their more typical pecking order over the swim, cycle and run of the discipline.

“It’s changed a little bit but not much,” is Jonathan’s take on proceedings. “He’s still my brother and we’re still rivals. That’s normal, we’ve been rivals in everything we’ve done. Having him there in a competition is always comforting. Who wouldn’t want to have their brother to chat to as you cycle along?”

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It is telling that Jonathan has moved out of Alistair’s house to buy his own place, admittedly a short walk down the road, and finally the most competitive of brothers have their own space.

While Jonny has been moving house and moving up the ranks, Alistair has had another turbulent year. In October, he was on his way to catch a flight to Brazil when he was struck down by stomach pains, leading to an emergency operation to have his appendix removed. More recently there was an Achilles problem.

“At the time I called it a season of absolute disasters,” he recalls. “Maybe that’s too rough an expression but it’s certainly been one of ups and downs.”

It is, therefore, an indication of how good he is that Brownlee Snr finds himself at the top of the rankings once more. “I’m surprised and delighted as I didn’t think I’d been in a position to win the world title,” he says.

Few would bet against him completing the task. His record in Hyde Park is impressive — as well as his Olympic triumph, he has won on two other occasions. However, things have not always gone to plan. In 2010, he collapsed, jelly legged, over the line after losing out to Javier Gomez, who should again be the pair’s most serious challenger.

“A lot can go wrong,” Jonathan says, his comment in part aimed at those who simply expect the cherubic brothers from Yorkshire to dominate such a demanding event.

Of the threat of further injury setbacks in the build-up, Alistair says:“I can’t be wrapped in cotton wool if I want to win the world title. I want a few more of those and to defend my Olympic title.

“But this year’s been tough. I was more drained than ever at the end of last season and, coming back, the motivation was lacking until my first training session. Once I did that, I was fine. London’s the final target.”

Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee are BT Ambassadors. They will compete to become the 2013 World Triathlon Champion at Hyde Park on Sunday

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