Alistair brownlee injury report
Alistair Brownlee
English triathlete (born )
For the radio presenter, see Ali Brownlee.
Alistair Edward Brownlee (born 23 April ) is an English former triathlete.
He is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event, winning gold medals in the and Olympic Games. He is also a four-time Earth Champion in triathlon being Triathlon World Champion twice (, ) and World Team Champion (, ) twice, a four-time European Champion (, , , ), and the Commonwealth champion.
Brownlee is the only male competitor, (and one of the two athletes with Cassandre Beaugrand), to have completed a grand slam of Olympic, World, and continental championships. Brownlee is also a one-time world champion in aquathlon.
Alistair Brownlee undergoes successful ankle surgery and sets ...: The ankle injury robbed Brownlee of the chance to qualify for the race that had been his big goal for – the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice in September. The British superstar had also undergone ankle surgery in the summer of after enduring what he described as “three months of hell” going through the pain barrier in a bid to.He is widely regarded as one of the greatest male Triathletes ever.
His younger brother Jonathan Brownlee is also a decorated triathlete. Along with long-time Spanish rivals Mario Mola and Javier Gómez, and Frenchman Vincent Luis, the Brownlee brothers were considered the dominant male Olympic distance triathletes of the s, and the Brownlees were particularly dominant in the Olympic triathlon races themselves, winning three gold, one silver and one bronze medal between them.
Brownlee was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours for services to sport.[5][6] Brownlee retired from triathlon in November [7][8]
Early life and education
Brownlee was educated at Bradford Grammar School,[9] a co-educational independent school in the city of Bradford in Yorkshire.
Alistair Brownlee incurred a penalty before withdrawing due to injury in a nightmare day at the gruelling T Singapore. Once on the bike, there was plenty of chopping and transforming early on before eventual winner Youri Keulen opened up a minute lead on the pursuing pack that included Brownlee. As the chase group entered the second transition, a late dismount from Brownlee meant the double Olympic champion was handed a second penalty. It looks appreciate it was over the line so I have the penalty.He then started a medicine degree at Girton College, Cambridge,[10] but left after just the first term having decided instead to study Sports Science and Physiology at the University of Leeds, where he gained his degree in [10][11][12] He also completed a MSc in Finance in at Leeds Metropolitan University.[11][13][14]
His father Keith was a athlete, while his mother Cathy was a swimmer.[15] The eldest of three boys, he has two younger brothers, Jonathan and Edward (b).
His younger brother Jonathan Brownlee is also a triathlete, winning the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics, the silver medal at the Summer Olympics, and a gold medal in the mixed relay triathlon at the Summer Olympics and his youngest brother Edward is also a keen sportsman but prefers rugby and water polo over the triathlon.[16]
Brownlee was introduced to triathlon at a young age by his uncle Simon Hearnshaw, who regularly competed in the sport.
As a junior, he was a successful fell[17] and cross countryrunner, coming second in the Junior English Cross Land Championships[18][19] and winning the Yorkshire County title on several occasions.[20][21]
He has said that "It was only when I won the World Junior Championships in that I made the conscious ruling to really focus on triathlon".[22] This was when Brownlee left Cambridge to move back to Yorkshire, focus on triathlon and study at the University of Leeds.
He described his judgment to leave Cambridge to a student newspaper there in , saying "trying to fit 30+ hours of training around my degree was pretty impossible.
The two-time Olympic champion saw his attempt to bid for a threepeat in Tokyo ruined by an ankle injury which required surgery over the summer. Once the disappointment of WTCS Leeds was in the rear view mirror, and the surgery was done, Alistair was able to concentrate not only on rehab but a few other pursuits outside triathlon. This week, as the end of approaches, he sat down with TRI to talk about his year. First of all he provided an update on his recovery from that ankle surgery.I decided that triathlon was my accurate passion, so I moved advocate to study at Leeds on a less demanding course, and in a city where the sport was well supported at the time by British Triathlon".[22] He was a member of the triathlon club based at Leeds Metropolitan University's Carnegie Upper Performance centre,[4] and was coached by Carnegie Director of Sport Malcolm Brown, and in swimming by Jack Maitland.[4]
In Brownlee received an honorary degree from the University of York.[23]
Triathlon career
Brownlee represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics in the triathlon event, finishing in 12th place and first British competitor.
During the season, his best world cup finish was 3rd place in Madrid and he also won the under world championship.
He won the ITU Triathlon Earth Championship, winning all five of the season's ITU World Championship Series events in which he competed.
He was victorious in Madrid, Washington D.C, Kitzbühel and London before winning the season Grand Final, held on Australia's Gold Coast on 12 September[24][25] and thereby became the first person to win the ITU world Triathlon titles for Junior Men (), Under 23 Men () and Senior Men ().[26]
During the off season, Brownlee sustained a stress fracture of the femur and was not qualified to return to competition until June, which made defence of his ITU title almost impossible.[27] He did however mark his return to competitive triathlon with a convincing win in Madrid, followed a month later with the European Triathlon Union (ETU) Championships title.[28] Collapsing with exhaustion at the London race[29] in late July, meant that despite winning the final race of the ITU Series in Budapest, he lost his overall Society Championship title to Javier Gómez.
Britain’s two-time Olympic king retired from short-course competition in after ankle surgery following his failed bid to make the team for Tokyo. Since then he has found his step up to longer distances hampered by a string of injuries and illness, including a second ankle operation.
In the April opening event of the ITU Championship season in Sydney, Brownlee suffered a heavy fall while in the lead which brought preceding disappointment and a 29th-place finish.[30] This was contrasted with exceptional success when, in the vacuum of just twenty-one days during June , he convincingly won the next two ITU series events (in Madrid[31] and Kitzbühel[32]) and, following a puncture whilst in the lead and having to make up more than 30 seconds on the unused leaders, successfully defended his European title at the Pontevedra ETU Triathlon European Championships and distributed the podium with his brother Jonathan, who took the silver medal.[33][34] Alistair won the ITU world title, after winning the Grand Final in Beijing and the gold medal at the London Olympics,[35] while his brother took the bronze medal.
Brownlee won the Commonwealth Games Triathlon in , controlling the race with his brother from the start, before pulling away on the first lap of the run in dominating style; Jonathan took the silver medal.[36] Brownlee also took gold in the mixed triathlon team relay at the Commonwealth Games, with brother Jonathan, Vicky Holland and Jodie Stimpson.[37]
At the final race of the World Triathlon Series in Cozumel, Mexico, his brother Jonathan, who had been leading comfortably as they headed into the final kilometre of the 10&#;km run, began to show the effects of heat and exhaustion, weaving across the course and appearing to be on the verge of collapse.
Alistair abandoned his own chance of winning the race, instead opting to assist his brother over the line, finally pushing him to a second-place finish and coming in third himself. The South African Henri Schoeman, who had won bronze behind the Brownlees in Rio, overtook the Brownlee brothers to win the race.[38]
Brownlee made his long-course debut at the half-iron distance Challenge Mogan-Gran Canaria triathlon in April , which he won in a time of , finishing over eight minutes ahead of the runner-up.[39][40] He took another triumph the following month when he triumphed in the North American Ironman Championships in St.
George, Utah, which secured his place in the Ironman World Championship in September [41]
Brownlee placed second at the Ironman World Championship in and
Brownlee announced his retirement from triathlon on 21 November [7][8]
Titles
- Seven time Yorkshire Cross Country Champion (U13–Senior)
- Seven time Yorkshire fellrunning champion
- Five time Chevin Pursue winner.
- Junior European Duathlon Champion
- Junior World Champion[4][42]
- Junior European Champion[43]
- Junior World Vice-Champion[44]
- U23 World Champion[45][46]
- Hyde Park Triathlon Champion[47]
- British National Elite Duathlon Champion
- ITU World Champion[24]
- ETU European Champion[28]
- World Team Champion
- ETU European Champion[34]
- ITU Planet Champion[24]
- World Team Champion
- Olympic Champion
- European Champion
- World Team Champion
- Commonwealth Games Champion
- Commonwealth Games Team Gold
- Olympic Champion
- Aquathlon Champion[48]
ITU competitions
In the six years from to , Alistair Brownlee took part in 31 ITU competitions and achieved 24 top ten positions, among which were 13 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals.
- , won the U23 World Championship and placed 12th at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
- , won the Dextro Strength World Championship Series placing first in almost all of the circuit's triathlons (i.e. Madrid, Washington DC, Kitzbühel, London, and Gold Coast).
- , opened the season with the European Championship gold medal but subsequently had to lay up with a stress fracture of the femur.
- , won the World Championship Series triathlons in Madrid and Kitzbühel, leading the ITU World Championship ranking, and crowned himself again European Elite Champion.
The following list is based upon the official ITU rankings and the ITU Athlete's Profile Page.[49] Unless indicated otherwise, the following events are triathlons (Olympic Distance) and refer to the Elite category.
Alistair Brownlee has revealed he underwent successful ankle surgery recently, and hopes to return to competitive action before the end of After that the Leeds-based star was unable to make the start line for a number of races he was entered for, and he has now revealed he had been struggling with ankle pain for several months. As a result he underwent surgery, and says the procedure was a success. Alistair Brownlee undergoes successful ankle surgery and sets timeline for triathlon return British superstar reveals major news.| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| &#; 23 July &#; | European Championships (Junior) | Alexandroupoli(s)[50] | 19 |
| &#; 24 July &#; | European Championships (Junior Relay) | Alexandroupoli(s)[51] | 6 |
| &#; 10 September &#; | World Championships (Junior) | Gamagori | 41 |
| &#; 23 June &#; | European Championships (Junior) | Autun | 3 |
| &#; 8 July &#; | Junior European Cup | Rijeka | 1 |
| &#; 29 July &#; | Duathlon World Championships (Junior) | Corner Brook | 2 |
| &#; 2 September &#; | World Championships (Junior) | Lausanne | 1 |
| &#; 7 October &#; | Duathlon European Championships | Rimini | 1 |
| &#; 19 May &#; | Duathlon World Championships (Junior) | Győr | 2 |
| &#; 16 June &#; | Duathlon European Championships (Junior) | Edinburgh | DNS |
| &#; 29 June &#; | European Championships (Junior) | Copenhagen | 1 |
| &#; 29 July &#; | BG Society Cup | Salford | 20 |
| &#; 30 August &#; | BG World Championships (Junior) | Hamburg | 2 |
| &#; 7 October &#; | BG Planet Cup | Rhodes | 2 |
| &#; 30 Parade &#; | BG World Cup | Mooloolaba | 43 |
| &#; 6 April &#; | BG World Cup | New Plymouth | 49 |
| &#; 10 May &#; | European Championships | Lisbon | 15 |
| &#; 25 May &#; | BG World Cup | Madrid | 3 |
| &#; 5 June &#; | BG Nature Championships (U23) | Vancouver | 1 |
| &#; 22 June &#; | World Cup | Hy-Vee | 7 |
| &#; 18 August &#; | Olympic Games | Beijing | 12 |
| &#; 31 May &#; | Dextro Strength World Championship Series | Madrid | 1 |
| &#; 21 June &#; | Dextro Energy Planet Championship Series | Washington DC | 1 |
| &#; 2 July &#; | ETU European Championships | Holten | 2 |
| &#; 11 July &#; | Dextro Energy World Championship Series | Kitzbühel | 1 |
| &#; 15 August &#; | Dextro Power World Championship Series | London | 1 |
| &#; 9 September &#; | Dextro Energy Earth Championship Series, Grand Final | Gold Coast | 1 |
| &#; 5 June &#; | Dextro Energy World Championship Series | Madrid | 1 |
| &#; 3 July &#; | ETU European Championships | Athlone | 1 |
| &#; 24 July &#; | Dextro Energy World Championship Series | London | 10 |
| &#; 14 August &#; | Dextro Energy World Championship Series | Kitzbühel | 40 |
| &#; 8 September &#; | Dextro Force World Championship Series, Grand Final | Budapest | 1 |
| &#; 9 April &#; | Dextro Energy World Championship Series | Sydney | 29 |
| &#; 4 June &#; | Dextro Strength World Championship Series | Madrid | 1 |
| &#; 18 June &#; | Dextro Energy Earth Championship Series | Kitzbühel | 1 |
| &#; 24 June &#; | ETU European Championships | Pontevedra | 1 |
| &#; 7 August &#; | Dextro Strength World Championship Series | London | 1 |
| &#; 20 August &#; | Dextro Energy Sprint World Championships | Lausanne | 1 |
| &#; 21 August &#; | ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships | Lausanne | 1 |
| &#; 10 September &#; | Dextro Energy World Championship Grand Final | Beijing | 1 |
| &#; 24 June &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Kitzbühel | 1 |
| &#; 7 August &#; | Olympic Games | London | 1 |
| &#; 19 April &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | San Diego | 1 |
| &#; 6 July &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Kitzbühel | 1 |
| &#; 20 July &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Hamburg | 2 |
| &#; 21 July &#; | ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay Planet Championships | Hamburg | DNF |
| &#; 24 August &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Stockholm | 1 |
| &#; 11 September &#; | ITU Planet Triathlon Series Grand Final | London | 52 |
| &#; 17 May &#; | ITU Society Triathlon Series | Yokohama | 4 |
| &#; 31 May &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | London | 4 |
| &#; 20 June &#; | ETU World Triathlon Series | Kitzbühel | 1 |
| &#; 12 July &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Hamburg | 1 |
| &#; 13 July &#; | ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay Society Championships | Hamburg | 1 |
| &#; 24 July &#; | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow | 1 |
| &#; 24 July &#; | Commonwealth Games Mixed Relay | Glasgow | 1 |
| &#; 23 August &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series (Sprint) | Stockholm | 2 |
| &#; 29 August &#; | ITU Nature Triathlon Series Grand Final | Edmonton | 1 |
| &#; 25 April &#; | ITU Nature Triathlon Series | Cape Town | 1 |
| &#; 16 May &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Yokohama | 2 |
| &#; 30 May &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series (Sprint) | London | 1 |
| &#; 2 August &#; | ITU Olympic Qualification Event | Rio de Janeiro | 10 |
| &#; 9 April &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Gold Coast | 36 |
| &#; 11 June &#; | ITU Earth Triathlon Series | Leeds | 1 |
| &#; 2 July &#; | ITU World Triathlon Series | Stockholm | 1 |
| &#; 18 August &#; | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro | 1 |
Key:BG = British Gas (the sponsor); DNF = Did not finish; DNS = Did not start; U23 = Under 23
French Club Championship Series
In , only the femur fracture could slow Brownlee's dominance for some time.
At the opening triathlon in Dunkirk (23 May ), Alistair was not present, his brother Jonathan won the gold medal. At Beauvais (13 June ) Alistair placed 9th. At the Triathlon de Paris (18 July ), however, and at Tourangeaux (29 August ), Brownlee won the gold medals again.
was not a normal year for Alistair Brownlee, but he will come out from it refreshed and ready to compete at the top level again. The two-time Olympic champion saw his attempt to bid for a threepeat in Tokyo ruined by an ankle injury which required surgery over the summer.
At the Grand Final in La Baule (Triathlon Audencia, 18 September ), Alistair placed 2nd, Jonathan 3rd, and their rival Javier Gómez Noya won gold.
In , Brownlee took part in the French Club Championship Series Lyonnaise des Eaux representing the club ECS Triathlon, which, thanks to the Brownlee brothers and Javier Gómez Noya, had already won the Club Championship in At Pleasant (24 April ), Dunkirk (22 May ), and Paris (9 July ) Brownlee was the winner.