Total domination is now the aim for double champion Brownlee

Alistair Brownlee intends to continue his comprehensive domination of triathlon up to the Rio Olympics of 2016, after shelving plans to compete on the track.
England's Alistair Brownlee high fives the crowd as he approachs the line before winning the Mixed Team Relay at Strathclyde Country Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games near Glasgow.England's Alistair Brownlee high fives the crowd as he approachs the line before winning the Mixed Team Relay at Strathclyde Country Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games near Glasgow.
England's Alistair Brownlee high fives the crowd as he approachs the line before winning the Mixed Team Relay at Strathclyde Country Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games near Glasgow.

The 26-year-old from Leeds, who added a second Commonwealth gold medal in the team triathlon on Saturday, has now won every major accolade his sport has to offer.

He is the reigning Olympic champion, the Commonwealth individual and team gold medallist as well as being a two-time world champion and a three-time European title holder.

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Since winning the Olympic triathlon, he had spoken of his desire to compete in the 10,000m on the track in Glasgow, as he looked to give himself a fresh challenge folllowing what he admitted was a career high at London 2012 he would be unlikely to replicate.

Brownlee ran the 10k in 29 minutes and seven seconds that day in Hyde Park, only a second slower than Britain’s Chris Thompson, who finished 25th in the 10,000m on the track.

Last year Brownlee ran a time just 12 seconds short of the B standard for the Commonwealth Games off the back of little training, but otherwise he was unable to contest enough races to get a bank of experience under his belt.

And after joining younger brother Jonny, training partner Vicky Holland and women’s individual winner Jodie Stimpson in a comfortable team victory in Glasgow, he revealed that targeting the Commonwealth Games was a one-off.

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Brownlee said: “I think I’m going to struggle now. The track was a goal to try to come to the Commonwealths to do it.

“It would have been a fantastic achievement to do it but it just didn’t work out unfortunately.

“At the moment I’m completely focused on triathlon, obviously the rest of this year and then on to Rio.”

England dominated the individual triathlons at Strathclyde Country Park on Thursday, with Brownlee beating brother Jonny, 24, to individual gold while Stimpson won the women’s race ahead of Holland in third.

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The quartet then teamed up on Saturday to win the first mixed team relay at a major Games in suitably dominant fashion.

Both Brownlees had made the Commonwealth Games their priority this season ahead of winning the world title, which looks certain to go to their big rival Javier Gomez from Spain.

There are two races left in the world triathlon series, which decides the world champion, with Stockholm in a month’s time followed by the grand final in Edmonton.

“Both of us are looking towards Edmonton now,” said Alistair, who won the world series in 2009 and again two years later.

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“We’re going to spend a few days here just enjoying the Games and then head off to go and train somewhere and train hard for Edmonton.

“My aim now is just completely to win the grand final. If I can do that then it will be all the big one-day races this year and that will have to do.

“I’ll maybe have another crack at the world title next year. Edmonton’s a good course and, if I’m fit, it should be good.”

“The world title both these last two years has been weird with the races so early in the season.

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“I took a bit of a risk going for the 10km more than anything. If I’d gone straight on to New Zealand (for the first race of the series) it could have been a bit different. But I wanted to win the Commonwealths and I’ve done that now so I can’t complain.”

England never looked like being beaten in the afternoon sunshine on Saturday as they came home 49 seconds ahead of second-placed South Africa, with Australia third.

As he had done two days before, the Olympic champion had time to pick up two England flags and jog down the finishing straight before casually strolling across the line.

It was the first medal won jointly by the proud Yorkshire brothers at a major Games, which made it extra special for Alistair.

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He said: “Of course it does. It’s very different for us doing something as a team, although we race together all the time.

“To be able to share an achievement is really good. We’ve raced so many relays together over the years and we really enjoy doing it. It’s fantastic to be able to do it on a major scale like we did today.”

For Jonny, the main thing was to stand on the top step of the podium after so often playing second fiddle to his elder sibling.

“It feels a bit strange to win a gold medal finally but it’s nice,” he said. “I want to win but I normally get beaten by Alistair. To get a gold medal is pretty special.”

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The event, which involves each athlete completing a 250-metre swim, six-kilometre bike and 1.6km run, was making its debut at a major Games.

Holland ended the first leg in fourth place after a powerful run from Canada’s Kirsten Sweetland, who beat the England athlete to silver in the individual event.

Jonny soon closed the gap and had taken a commanding lead by the time he handed over to Stimpson.

Having been caught by New Zealand’s Nicky Samuels on the bike, Stimpson pulled out a nine-second lead on the run to give Alistair a headstart on the final leg which he was never going to relinquish.

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Holland, who is from Gloucester but moved up to Leeds last year to train with the Brownlees, admitted being in the same team as the all-conquering brothers brought pressure as well as opportunity.

“It puts you in a fantastic position because you know you’ve got the best two guys in the world on your team and that’s a great place to be in,” she said.

“But equally it adds to a little bit of the pressure because you don’t want to mess up. You’ve just got to do your job properly and it should go perfect.”