'I achieved way beyond anything I could imagine': Yorkshire great Alistair Brownlee calls time on groundbreaking professional career

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A sporting career that took him from the rural roads of north Leeds to groundbreaking Olympic gold medals in London and Rio is finally over, after Alistair Brownlee called time on his professional triathlon career.

The true Yorkshire great, now 36, has declared enough is enough as he looks to dedicate more time to business ventures, the charity foundation he set up with his brother Jonny and a growing portfolio of work in sports administration, with bodies like the IOC.

His last race was the Dubai T100 Triathlon World Championship final on Sunday in which, typically, he finished on the podium.

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But this famous sporting son of Yorkshire will be remembered most fondly for his Olympic gold-medal performances in 2012 and 2016, for carrying his brother over the line when he was near exhaustion in a race in Mexico, and for growing the sport of triathlon in Britain.

The best: Clutching a White Rose flag and a union jack, Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain wins gold at the Rio Olympics (Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)The best: Clutching a White Rose flag and a union jack, Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain wins gold at the Rio Olympics (Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
The best: Clutching a White Rose flag and a union jack, Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain wins gold at the Rio Olympics (Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

He still plans on competing in long-distance challenges, but as a professional his journey is now complete.

Speaking to the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) in Dubai, Brownlee said: “I feel like I've been around the block a bit in triathlon. I'm now 36. I have basically been a professional athlete since I was 18, so it's a long time. Over those years, triathlon was literally a childhood dream for me to be a professional athlete.

“And I definitely achieved way, way beyond anything I could imagine.”

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Asked to expand on the reasons behind his retirement, Brownlee added: “It's many factors that have gone into that decision. Ultimately, it just feels really right. I know it is a kind of a wishy washy thing to say, but it does and I'm really happy with it. It's a combination of...I have been doing it for a long time and there's so many other things in sport I want to do.

Yorkshire's Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the Men's Triathlon at the London 2012 Olympic Games at Hyde Park on August 7, 2012 (Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)Yorkshire's Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the Men's Triathlon at the London 2012 Olympic Games at Hyde Park on August 7, 2012 (Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Yorkshire's Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the Men's Triathlon at the London 2012 Olympic Games at Hyde Park on August 7, 2012 (Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

“I want to retire fit and healthy and not be forced to retire by injury and illness or whatever. It has got more difficult for me. I can't do anywhere near the training that I used to be able to do. So I also found it hard at times being on the start line, knowing that I'm not prepared to the level that I'd like to be.”

He first shot to attention as a junior, forcing his way into the Olympic squad for Beijing in 2008 at just 20.

Triathlon was a relatively young Olympic sport - only gaining admittance in Sydney - and the competitors were generally in their 30s, and a lot were amateur.

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Brownlee changed that, treating it as a full-time career, training 35 hours a week around the roads of his Bramhope home.

By the time of the Olympics in London - a moment he had been building towards - he was hot favourite and did not disappoint in Hyde Park. Four years later, having also won two world titles, he became the first man to successfully defend his Olympic crown in Rio.

Injuries caught up with him and forced his retirement from the Olympic distance event ahead of the delayed Tokyo Games – an emotional World Series in his home city of Leeds would prove his last act - before he moved into the longer distances.

So what comes next?

“I've been planning for this day for a long time,” said Brownlee. “I've always had a pathological fear of having nothing to do and I didn't want to wake up the morning after my last race and I've nothing to do apart from go to the pub - that would be a disaster.

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“I've got all kinds of things and projects that I'm really looking forward to. I've got a list of events that I wanted to do, whether that's more gravel racing, ultrarunning, endurance bike packing races, mountain bike stuff, anything that's kind of challenging. Maybe some of the extreme triathlons, more challenge and completion things. So staying fit to do that, and I'm looking forward to that very much. Stay involved in triathlon.

“I really enjoy the work I do with the IOC and trying to guide sports into a new area and I think that's an important thing to do.

“More with the charity (Brownlee Foundation). And then, yeah, a bunch of bits of business interests are good. We've got a couple of companies hopefully that are going to be launching over the next few months.”

The fact the sport he leaves is now one of the fastest-growing in the world at elite and participation level is part of his enduring legacy.

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“It’s a massive honour that other athletes look up to you,” he said.

“I'm very proud that whatever impact I've had on the sport of triathlon in terms of motivating and inspiring other people to be involved, that's really special.

“I've tried to do what I can, helping other athletes out and kind of coaching and giving advice to people just because of my love and passion for it.

“I think I'm really looking forward to seeing where the triathlon goes over the next few years.”

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