Jonny Brownlee: I thought 'Alistair, you idiot'…then I saw it was me!

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UPDATED:

21:45 GMT, 7 August 2012

It was on the second lap of the bike section in Tuesday's Olympic triathlon that Jonny Brownlee became aware of a 15-second time penalty.

‘I heard the number 31 and thought, “Alistair’s got a penalty, what an idiot”,’ said the younger of the Brownlee brothers.

‘But then I looked down at my arm and realised I was 31. Then I looked at my other arm and saw 31 again. Ali was 30.’

Brownlee boys: Jonny (left) and Alistair with Spaniard Javier Gomez and their triathlon medals

What a feeling: Alistair Brownlee celebrates as he crosses the finish line in first place

Number 31 finished in the bronze medal position after serving that penalty three laps into the four-lap, 10km run.

/08/07/article-2185112-146CD928000005DC-214_634x356.jpg” width=”634″ height=”356″ alt=”Frustration: Jonny Brownlee had to take a 15-second penalty towards the end of the triathlon” class=”blkBorder” />

Frustration: Jonny Brownlee had to take a 15-second penalty towards the end of the triathlon

‘I felt awful as I crossed the line,’
he said. ‘I got into the tent afterwards and I felt worse and worse. I
was overheating, I collapsed and then I got taken to the medical centre.
I’m not sure if I passed out. I may have done. But it’s a hard sport.
Alistair collapsed here two years ago (in a World Series race) and now
it’s my turn.’

Two years ago their mother Cath, a
doctor, ran to Alistair’s aid in the finish area. On Tuesday there was
no shortage of doctors but she was there anyway.

‘My mum came into the tent,’ said Jonny. ‘But by then they’d covered me in ice and towels and given me water and glucose.’

As delighted as he was to win gold
and see his brother take a medal, too, Alistair was angered by the time
penalty Jonny described as ‘the longest 15 seconds of my life’.

'It’s ruining the sport,’ said
Alistair. ‘For Jonny to get that for something as minor as stepping on a
line is just ridiculous.’

Between them they tried to execute a plan that would enable Jonny to take his penalty without losing too much ground.

Feeling it now: Jonny Brownlee needed some medical attention after the triathlon

Keeping it going: Alistair (right) and Jonny Brownlee

‘On the bike I told him not to worry about the penalty, that he could still do it,’ said Alistair.

‘Jonny said, “We’ll run like the
wind”. I was thinking about different tactics. I thought I could try to
run at a certain pace with Javier so Jonny could catch up. But Javier
was strong so I had to run hard.’

In the end Alistair was keen to focus on what was a remarkable achievement by both of them.

‘We can’t complain, two brothers
first and third,’ he said. ‘I’m happy, excited, overwhelmed, a bit
relieved. After Jonny crossed the line we said, “We’ve done it”.’

Jonny added: ‘It’s great for the family. We’re really proud.’

Don't get up: Alistair Brownlee (right) and Javier Gomez shake hands after finishing first and second

They should be. Jonny for his heroics
and Alistair for the manner in which he destroyed a world class field.
For the pace he set on the run and the way he accelerated with 5km to
go, then with 3.7km to go. ‘I could not live with him,’ said Gomez.

Alistair suggested his time for the
run leg — a blistering 29min 7sec — might have been the consequence of a
short course. ‘Triathlon courses are notorious for being measured
inaccurately,’ he said.

But from the back of the room a
senior race official informed the 20th British Olympic champion of these
Games that it had been measured only three days ago and was ‘exactly
10km’.

‘If that’s the case I’m pretty
happy,’ said Alistair before suggesting that as well as the triathlon he
might target the 10,000m on the track at the Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow in 2014.

They both want to compete in Rio in
2016, too. Now, though, Alistair plans to ‘help Jonny win the World
Series’ competition he cannot win because the achilles injury he
suffered earlier this year means he has not completed enough races.

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