Inspirational Alistair Brownlee deserves to be remembered as the greatest Olympic triathlete

As the sun set on Alistair Brownlee’s competitive triathlon career, the backdrop of the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – towered over the Dubai skyline as a final reminder that the Yorkshireman was often not just head and shoulders, but several storeys, above his rivals.

His podium in the T100 series rounded things out in comparatively low-key style. Although his longer distance races often failed to live up to potential, it was the earlier years that captured the imagination. For these he’ll be best remembered.

For so much of the time since he sprung to public consciousness in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was a perfect storm. The standout was, of course, the gift of a home Games in 2012. At 24, he was at the peak of his powers. Even in a London 2012 festival that threw up so many highlights, that Tuesday morning in Hyde Park was something else.

That he had a willing and able training and racing partner in whom he had absolute trust was equally serendipitous. Younger brother Jonny’s physical abilities made him the ideal foil. That he was a step behind psychologically, compounded it. It’s not to denigrate the younger Brownlee. You don’t become a multiple Olympic medallist by being a soft touch. Alistair was just a belligerent bugger in his refusal to lose. 

Yorkshire grit

Then there was the environment: Yorkshire. Enchanting enough to become a playground for a lifetime of biking and running. But demanding enough to consistently forge progress, whether it was building the skillset, the engine, or the attitude. Then the people, notably Malcolm Brown and Jack Maitland, who mentored and guided, but gave autonomy. There’s no counterfactual to know whether Brownlee would have developed without them both. But both men lived to an athlete-first philosophy. 

There was finding a programme that worked, and became a blueprint for Olympic success. All 11 of the Olympic triathlon medals won by GB – more than any other nation – have a connection to Leeds. Whether through inspiration or as direct training partners, none of them would have been won without the Brownlees’ influence.

Brownlee was also tactically smart. He had the right mix of curiosity in the elements that would make him go faster in an increasingly tech-driven sport. He had the grittiness to get by with plastic shopping bags to keep the feet drier in the absence of neoprene overshoes.

Brothers in arms

The pinnacles were London and Rio. The latter was a fine example of finding a way to win a race when – as so often became the case – the build-up was imperfect through injury. The Leeds World Series races of 2016 and 2017 also jump out. Cozumel 2016 and his assistance to an ailing Jonny was the moment that transcended the sport and almost won him the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. But I always sensed Alistair’s preference was for his brother to have jogged those final metres over the line and won the world title instead.

The achievements are all the more remarkable given that in a tough sport, and following one unblemished all-conquering season in 2009, injuries struck early. He always countered by saying he’d rather have a short world-beating career than an extended mediocre one. Despite being a pro triathlete until the age of 36, that’s how it played out. Expectations were high when he stepped up to Ironman racing and there were world-level performances. But the oft-heard prophecy that he might be too brittle for the distance ultimately played out.

Should not having an Ironman world title detract from the legacy? Not for a moment. It was the greatest of sporting careers at a time when the sport needed it the most. Sure, there was serendipity for triathlon’s greatest ever Olympic champion. But it was serendipitous for all who watched on too.