Alistair Brownlee: The epic career of a triathlon legend, from Olympic glory to brotherly love

How do you sum up a triathlon legend like Alistair Brownlee?

With more than 20 years in elite sport and a palmarès which is simply staggering, Thursday’s news that the biggest name in British triathlon history is to retire, draws the curtain on a simply stunning career.

For many in the UK, Alistair Brownlee IS triathlon; the most recognisable name who has been part of some of the most iconic moments in the sport, bringing the sport of triathlon into the mainstream. He’s also one of the greatest triathletes in the history of the sport globally, and in short-course terms, is almost universally regarded as the greatest male triathlete of all time.

Many words will be written over the coming days about his impact on the sport, so here are some of my memories about the true legacy that he will leave on the sport.

The impact of ‘that’ moment

It is not exaggerating to say that the events of the final few hundred metres of the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Cozumel in 2016 are some of the most iconic scenes in the global history of triathlon. It – quite literally – changed the (rules of the) sport.

What is usually forgotten is the background. While he had collected a second Olympic Games gold medal a month earlier, Alistair himself was not in contention to become World Champion heading into the race, but younger brother Jonny was. Spain’s Mario Mola was the points leader, and for Jonny to overcome the deficit, he needed to win and see Mola finish several places behind him. Combining the Cozumel (hot and humid) conditions, with a flat course making breakaways unlikely, Mola was the odds-on favourite to take a third world title, having won four of the eight regular season races to date.

In a rare position in his career, Alistair was going to prove that he could be the ultimate domestique. Not ready to concede the title, Alistair’s power cycling was the prime driver of making a breakaway stick, and setting up an unlikely family success. We know what happened in that final 200 metres, but Alistair could have done no more than he did that day.

Did it really change the sport? It did – check out World Triathlon Competition Rules 2.2 c.). That, “An athlete cannot physically assist the forward progress of another athlete on any part of the course”, ruling was directly drafted as a result of the events of Cozumel 2016.

To the general public however, this ‘brothers in arms’ moment was remarkable.

Public Awareness

In a click-bait, insta story, fast-paced world, those images from Cozumel perhaps brought the Brownlee brothers into the public consciousness even more than two Olympic gold medals.

At the time, my reporting on the event on these pages was the highest traffic we had ever witnessed since day one of TRI247. For myself, before 9 a.m, I received a call from Channel 5 news who wanted to know more about the Brownlee brothers and what had happened, and within two hours they were setting up cameras in my house for an interview, which went out on their evening news that day.

Much bigger recognition would follow soon after however, via the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. This was 2016 remember, an Olympic and Paralympic year, in which 27 Olympic gold medals had been won, with a total medal count that exceeded even that of London 2012. Against that background, a triathlete getting second place in a public vote in the most visible sporting award in the country was remarkable.

Brownlee Brothers Cozumel 2016 — Alistair and Jonny Brownlee in that famous moment in Cozumel in 2016 (Delly Carr Media/ITU).

Further evidence of ‘household’ status came with a brilliant piece of advertising, which perfectly linked their Yorkshire roots with a playful nod to that stumble in Mexico. It wasn’t just triathlons that Alistair was appearing in now, but during Coronation Street commercial breaks too on prime time.

Leeds, Leeds, Leeds

Forever linked to their home city of Leeds, such is the ‘Brownlee’ status that Roundhay Park and Millennium Square would host the World Triathlon Championship Series six times between 2016 and 2022.

There is no chance, absolutely none, that this race would have been possible without the awareness and profile that Alistair and Jonny had given to the sport, and their home, to that point in their career.

I covered that at length in a separate piece last year (well worth a read, honestly), and I count myself privileged to have been in the commentary booth on site for every one of those events, and the highs and lows that came with them.

The draft-legal elite event is no more, but major racing will return in 2025. Would that have happened without the history of what had gone before? Probably not.

World Triathlon Leeds 2017 - Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee celebrating — Leeds 2017 – another one-two for the local heroes.

How did he do that?!

The ITU World Triathlon Stockholm 2013 may not spring immediately to mind as an Alistair Brownlee career highlight, but for me it reflects to sort of athlete he is and his absolute desire to win. An Alistair Brownlee breakaway is not news – it was his modus operandi for most of his short-course career – but breaking away FROM an already elite breakaway, and making it work, was something special.

This was during peak Brownlee-Brownlee-Gomez years of course, and both Jonny and Javier – along with Vincent Luis and Henri Schoeman – were in a top tier group of eight on the bike. With just a lap and a half remaining on the 10-lap bike course, Alistair attacked the group on a downhill, technical cobbled section. Lacking some running miles in training, this could have looked like a desperate move… but Alistair knew that if he wanted to win the race, it was his best chance to start the run with a few seconds lead. And Alistair always wanted to WIN.

His efforts were rewarded with a 21-second advantage starting the run, and his bravery would prove successful. Gomez closed the gap slightly over the 10km, but Alistair’s tactics paid off with what was, at the time, his 15th ITU World Triathlon (today’s WTCS), victory. As ‘complete’ triathlon performances go, you’ll struggle to see much better.

Alistair Brownlee wins ITU World Triathlon Stockholm 2013

Total domination

If Stockholm was demonstration of the brave execution of tactics, then what he did six weeks earlier in Kitzbuehel was brutal domination. That year’s World Triathlon Series race featured a unique course, comprising an opening 750m swim, and 11.55km bike and a closing 2.55km run. Nothing impressive in those figures… until you realise that the bike course almost entirely comprised climbing, with the final kilometre featuring gradients between 17 and 22 percent. There were more hills on the run too.

There would be no hiding place, the strongest athlete would win – and frankly nobody was predicting anything but an Alistair victory. Having spent a career racing as a complete all-around triathlete, this was like taking candy from a baby for Alistair, who powered away solo up the climb. Simply untouchable.

The ultimate rivalry?

There have been some epic rivalries in triathlon history, and the peak years of Alistair’s career were marked by one of the best of all time.

Following on from Dave Scott vs. Mark Allen, Paula Newby-Fraser vs. Erin Baker and Simon Lessing vs. Spencer Smith to name just three – the years of Alistair Brownlee vs. Javier Gomez should be part of the fabric of this sport for decades to come. That there was another contender – younger brother Jonny – in the mix too, perhaps makes it the greatest. I’ll leave you to assess that ranking argument should you choose to, but it has certainly been a motivation for today’s Alex Yee vs. Hayden Wilde modern day equivalent.

There’s no question that the Gomez-Brownlee-Brownlee peak years raised the bar for everyone in the sport. That’s not armchair Quarterback opinion – ask anyone that competed against them!

All three athletes were complete across swim / bike / run, and while they could have chosen to hide on the bike and wait for a run showdown, more often than not, they attacked races from the gun. So complete was that trio’s dominance, that nobody had beaten all three in the same race until the ITU World Triathlon Series London in 2014 – a finish that earlier this year I included on my shortlist of best ever triathlon sprint finishes.

London 2012 however was perhaps the ultimate reflection of their impacts on the sport. A home Olympics for the Brownlees, perhaps the largest crowd that has ever watched a triathlon and without question the three best athletes of the era completed the podium. It also resulted in one of my favourite images of all time – and a framed version, signed by both, is on my office wall to this day.

Appropriately, perhaps, Javier announced his own retirement from professional triathlon recently too.

Javier Gomez & Alistair Brownlee at London 2012 — Photo Credit: Delly Carr / World Triathlon

Legend status secured

When I heard earlier in the week that this news was coming, I was a little surprised initially, but also happy. Happy for Alistair, who has clearly had so many difficult times in recent years with injury and illnesses that have restricted his ability to prepare as well and consistently as he once could. Making that decision is not always easy, but reflecting similar emotions to those of Daniela Ryf earlier this year, I’m incredibly pleased that it’s one he is at peace with.

I am happy and content, eager for what lies ahead. I find myself smiling because it happened, rather than crying because it’s over.

On a personal level, much of my own triathlon media / commentary journey has been closely linked to his racing. My first ever commentary role was on-site at the World Triathlon Series London in 2010 (the meltdown!), plus every World Triathlon race he did in the UK since, including those two home city wins in Leeds. I was also in the announcing booths for Commonwealth Games success at Glasgow in 2014, have hosted Q&A events with him several times and done many an interview over the years. There was never a dull moment when Alistair raced.

While he steps back from the highest levels of the sport, we can expect his influence to continue – and triathlon will continue to be much better for it.

An inspiration for a generation who continues to inspire the next.

To an all-time great, thank you.

Alistair & Jonny Brownlee Foundation hits legacy milestone — Alistair and Jonny have now had more than 65,000 young people attend their events

Scores on the doors

The legacy that Alistair Brownlee leaves on professional triathlon can’t fully be summed up in data and statistics. However… those numbers are pretty impressive.