Jonathan Brownlee has been recognised for an outstanding season at the British Triathlon Annual Awards, being named winner of the 2010 Olympic Athlete of the Year award.
The prestigious award rounded off an exceptional season for the 20 year old from Yorkshire, in which he won the ITU World Sprint Triathlon Championships in Lausanne and the U23 ITU Triathlon World title in Budapest.
Upon receiving his award, Jonathan commented: “It’s absolutely great to win this, it’s been a long hard season for me and to get this award it’s absolutely amazing.. It has been an absolutely great season for me.”
When asked about next year and the race for Olympic qualification he added: “There’s lots of good British guys, Britain’s got about six or seven people who can qualify, I just have to train hard this winter and come back next year and give it my best shot.”
Older brother Alistair Brownlee also ended a successful year, winning the GE British Triathlon Male Elite Athlete of the Year Award in addition to a new award for 2010, the Peter Holmes Award for Inspirational Performance in International Competition.
Alistair claimed two Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series victories, winning both Madrid and the season finale in Budapest. Alistair also won the ETU Triathlon European Championships, a title he highlighted as a key target back in 2009, and was determined to add to his palmares.
This strength of character and his inspirational victory in Athlone are two of the principal reasons for Alistair’s second award of the evening: the Peter Holmes Awardfor Inspirational Performance in International Competition.
The award recognises the commitment and passion of Peter Holmes, ITU Communications Manager, whose tragic loss in December 2009 in a winter sports accident in Canada, greatly saddened all at British Triathlon. The award will be presented annually to the athlete who is considered to have achieved the most outstanding performance of the year in triathlon or our associated multisports.
Alistair said: “I think it’s the third or fourth year I have won it in a row now, so that’s pretty good, it’s great to be acknowledged in this way. I don’t really do sport to win awards, I do it for the love of it and for the love of racing, so it’s an added extra to win an award.”
He added when asked about his Peter Holmes Award: “He was a fantastic person. It’s always great to work in sport with people with real passion and Pete certainly had that.”
The evening also recognised triathlon’s high profile female achievers. Helen Jenkins won the GE British Triathlon Female Elite Athlete of the Year for the third year in succession following two podium finishes in the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series and bronze in the 2010 Hy-Vee ITU Triathlon Elite Cup. Helen’s consistency across the season, never finishing outside the top-15, delivered a fourth placed world ranking position.
Helen commented: It feels brilliant, it always really nice that it’s voted for by the members of British Triathlon.”
A full list of Award winners can be found below:
British Triathlon Annual Award Winners
Olympic Athlete of the Year – Jonathan Brownlee
GE British Triathlon Male Elite Triathlete of the Year – Alistair Brownlee?
GE British Triathlon Female Elite Triathlete of the Year – Helen Jenkins?
British Triathlon Male Junior Triathlete of the Year – Tom Bishop?
British Triathlon Female Junior Triathlete of the Year – Sky Draper?
GE British Triathlon Male Elite Long Distance Triathlete of the Year – Frazer Cartmell?
GE British Triathlon Female Elite Long Distance Triathlete of the Year – Chrissie Wellington?
British Triathlon Male Elite Duathlete of the Year – Tim Don?
British Triathlon Female Elite Duathlete of the Year – Catriona Morrison?
British Triathlon Club of the Year – BRAT Club
British Triathlon Event of the Year – Crystal Palace Triathlon
Tata Steel British Triathlon Male Paratriathlete of the Year – Steven Judge?
Tata Steel British Triathlon Female Paratriathlete of the Year – Jane Egan?
British Triathlon Male Age Group Triathlete of the Year – Colin Dixon?
British Triathlon Female Age Group Triathlete of the Year – Sophie Whitworth?
Leigh Day & Co. British Triathlon Volunteer of the Year – Karen Ayers?
Leigh Day & Co. British Triathlon Young Volunteer of the Year – Fionn Hargreaves?
Leigh Day & Co. British Triathlon Official of the Year – Duncan Hough ?
Leigh Day & Co. British Triathlon Children’s Coach of the Year – Geoff Jones
Leigh Day & Co British Triathlon Young Coach of the Year – Niall McLeod?
Leigh Day & Co. British Triathlon Performance Development Coach of the Year – Leigh Archer
Leigh Day & Co. British Triathlon Participation Coach of the year – Nigel Costiff
British Duathlon Ranking Series Overall Male Winner – Thomas Sturdy
British Duathlon Ranking Series Overall Female Winner – Danielle Stewart
British Triathlon Ranking Series Overall Male Winner – Daniel McCarthy
British Triathlon Ranking Series Overall Female Winner – Danielle Stewart
?Peter Holmes Awardfor Inspirational Performance in International Competition – Alistair Brownlee