They did it! Team GB’s Alistair and Jonny Brownlee secured an historic Olympic triathlon 1-2 on the Copacabana Beach in Rio last Thursday, with Alistair taking gold finishing in 1:45:01, six seconds in front of Jonny who secured silver.
Alistair becomes the first triathlete to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals after his triumph in London 2012, with Jonny bettering his bronze medal from four years ago.
Instead bronze went to South Africa’s Henri Schoeman, but it was the Brownlee Brothers who created one of THE moments of the Games and with it triathlon history, ending with an emotional finish-line embrace after the pair had given it everything.
Commenting on his momentous victory, Alistair Brownlee said,
“I was pretty confident we would get first and second but I didn’t know which way round it would be. I just had the edge on Jonny but he has killed me in training and I have been going through hell. It has been so hard. I have woken up in pain every day. The swim wasn’t that quick but we knew the first two laps on the bike would be crucial. The last few weeks we have been training to commit and, boy, we did. As soon as we got to halfway I knew we were going to get two medals and it was just a run for it.”
Post-race Jonny Brownlee said:
“I’m used to getting beaten by him, but at the start of the day the dream was to get gold and silver and that is what we have done. We had a plan and really committed, and when Alistair pushed on I thought it I would be risking a medal to go with him. Maybe in four years if he is older and greyer he will be that bit slower… but maybe he won’t be.”
A huge congratulations from everyone at Brownlee Tri to both Alistair and Jonny on their fantastic achievements at Rio 2016.
Don’t miss the chance to see the newly crowned Olympic gold and silver medallists next month and be part of their legacy triathlon – Brownlee Tri – on Saturday 24 September at Harewood House, Leeds.
Entries are still open for individual super-sprint and sprint distances, along with the exclusive youth-junior wave for 15-18 year olds and the Team Relay. Whether it’s your first triathlon or you’re an experienced racer, there’s something for everyone at Brownlee Tri 2016.