Jonny left tired but relieved after clinching world title in Auckland

His remarkable season-long achievement, completed by a second-place finish in Auckland yesterday, caps a unique family double.

Jonny’s brother Alistair won the Olympic title just two months ago in London, meaning the two biggest prizes in the sport are in the possession of the Leeds brothers.

Twenty-two-year-old Olympic bronze medallist Jonny had previously carved out a career in the shadow of his elder brother, who had swept all before him.

He said last week that victory in the World Series Grand Final in Auckland would prove to the world that he is a force in his own right. That is exactly what he managed yesterday.

The Leeds triathlete headed into the grand final with a 180-point lead over Spain’s Javier Gomez, and required just a podium finish to secure the overall title.

That was what transpired on a wet day in Auckland as Olympic silver medallist Gomez got the better of Brownlee in a sprint finish.

“It’s great to keep the title in the family, pretty special,” said Brownlee, whose race victories in San Diego, Madrid and Stockholm earlier in the season put him in pole position to win the crown.

“It was a tough day.

“I thought when I woke up (yesterday morning) that the weather was bad and it was going to be a hard, pure triathlon, and that’s what it was.

“The bike was really, really hard and for the first bit of the run everyone was tired.

“The first two laps were nice and easy and then Javier attacked and it came to a sprint at the end and my tactics were shocking; I led him out into the wind and he just came past me.

“I am pleased the season’s over; it’s been a long year and I’m tired now.”

Brownlee adds the world title to the global sprint and Under-23 
titles won previously.

Olympic champion Alistair had hoped to race in Auckland to support Jonny but has been forced to rest after having his appendix removed last month, and headed on holiday instead.

Alistair won the world title in 2009 and 2011, but missed the first portion of the season because of an Achilles injury that almost threatened his Olympic hopes.

He recovered in time to win a world series leg in Kitzbuhel and then the Olympic title on an emotional day that saw his brother come home in third, despite having to take a 15-second penalty.

The fact that between them they own the biggest prizes in the sport underscores their dominance in the multi-discipline event.

And in a nod to the brothers’ performance in London, Jonny benefited from the strong swimming of Slovakia’s Richard Varga in Auckland.

Varga had trained with the Brownlees in the run-up to the Olympics, and he and Jonny worked together again yesterday to come out of the water at the end of the swimming leg in complete control of the race.

After setting the pace on the bikes they were eventually caught by the chase group as home favourite Kris Gemmell took up the running at the front.

Jonny and Gomez hit the front in the run amid teeming rain but Jonny kicked for home too early and the Spaniard capitalised to sprint past him and take victory.

Gomez crossed the line in two hours and 29 seconds, with Brownlee two seconds behind and Switzerland’s Sven Riederer another 47 seconds adrift in third.

Jonny said: “Well done to Javier. He’s a great athlete and had a good swim, a good bike and a good run.”

Gomez added: “I felt quite good on the run. I tried a couple of times (to break clear) but Jonathan was so strong so I stayed behind and focused on the sprint.

“With 150 metres to go I said let’s just go as hard as I can and see what happens and I am really happy for the victory.

“I knew it was almost impossible to be world champion here, Jonathan is a well-deserved champion. He had a really good season, pretty consistent and I did my job (yesterday); it’s a good way to finish the season so I’m quite happy.”

Britain’s Jodie Stimpson finished fifth in the women’s race on Saturday.

Stimpson was among an 11-strong group which looked set to contest a sprint finish until Germany’s Anne Haug pulled clear on the final lap of the run.

Haug finished in a time of 2hrs 10 mins 48 secs, 12 seconds ahead of American Gwen Jorgensen, with Barbara Riveros Diaz of Chile in third.

Sweden’s Lisa Norden was fourth to claim the overall world title, with Stimpson given the same time as the Olympic silver medallist in fifth. Britain’s David McNamee was 10th with Aaron Harris and Mark Buckingham 28th and 29th respectively and Adam Bowden 33rd.

In the Under-23 race, Britain’s Tom Bishop claimed his second consecutive bronze medal, but last year’s champion Matt Sharp missed out on the lead group on the bike leg and had to settle for sixth.

“The bike course is awesome, I wish more races were like that,” said Bishop.

“I tried my hardest to hurt the legs of the guys and take the kick out of them but I didn’t quite do it and I got third again, but I tried my hardest and I’m content with that.

“Getting a medal at a world championships is pretty good.”

Britain’s Non Stanford won the women’s Under-23 title in Auckland. The 23-year-old Welshwoman has had an impressive season and she crowned it in perfect fashion, winning by nine seconds. Lucy Hall finished eighth.