Names: Alistair and Jonny Brownlee
Event: Triathlon
Dates of Birth: 23 April 1988, 24 (Alistair) and 30th April 1990, 22 (Jonny)
Career Highlights: For Alistair becoming world champion twice has to be one of them. For Jonny, probably winning the world sprint triathlon championships, he will hold the title going into the Olympics.
Did you know? Alistair gave up reading medicine at Cambridge to pursue his sporting career, one term in.
Champions aren’t made overnight, it takes a lifetime of commitment, dedication and passion. A supportive family is a key part of this and hence there are many sporting siblings – the Williams sisters and the Charlton brothers are just two. The Yorkshire born Brownlees look to become another sporting sibling success story.
In the Beijing Olympics, Alistair finished in twelfth place and as the first Brit. Since then, he has powered his way up the table. He won the gold in the ETU European championships twice, in 2010 and in 2011. Also in 2011 took the gold for the second time in the world championships, the first being two years previously.
So far in 2012, he has raced eleven times and won nine, quite an achievement. His stiffest competition comes in the form of Spanish Javier Gomez and with his younger brother Jonny who also happens to be number 2 in the world.
Jonny’s career has seen him become the world under-23 champion in 2010, one year after winning the silver at the World Junior Championships in Holten. He is snapping at Alistair’s heels, he joined his elder brother on the podium at the 2011 World and European championships, taking the silver.
The GB triathlon team have been predicted 1-2 medals and since the squad also boasts the women’s world number one, Helen Jenkins, this looks like a very achievable feat.