Jonny Brownlee blew world title chance by being 'a complete tactical numpty', says brother Alistair

 
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16 September 2013

Alistair Brownlee described his brother Jonny as a "complete tactical numpty" as Spain's Javier Gomez denied Britain another golden day in Hyde Park.

After Non Stanford had dominated the women's race on Saturday at the World Triathlon Grand Final to win a first world title, the Brownlees took centre stage for what a crowd estimated to be as many as 200,000 strong expected to be more glory.

Thirteen months on from the Olympics, in which Alistair had won gold and Jonny bronze, they raced again over virtually the same course.

But this time things did not go to plan, with Alistair's hopes of a third world title ended by an ankle injury and Jonny pipped on the line by Gomez for both the race and the overall world title.

The pair were together for the entirety of the 10 kilometre run, but Jonny's move with 200 metres to go did not prove to be decisive and Gomez overtook him heading down the final straight.

Alistair virtually jogged around much of the run and concentrated in the final stages on trying to help his brother, gesturing to him to play it smart and then stopping for a few seconds to urge him on.

Alistair told the BBC: "I was watching Jonny and I was getting so frustrated with him. All he had to do was sit behind Javier until the last 50 metres and he was going to win.

"I saw him make his move with about 200m to go, and I thought, 'Oh no, what an idiot'.

"I'll be giving him a lot of stick for that. He's thrown a world title away through being a complete tactical numpty."

Jonny did not feel he had made a big mistake, saying: "It was tough because there was a bit of a headwind. I don't know what I could have done differently.

"Javier's an incredible athlete. He's got no weaknesses. I thought his sprint finish was a weakness but obviously not."

Alistair went into the race leading the world series but his ankle injury, which has troubled him for most of the year, was so problematic that it was touch and go whether he competed at all.

He eventually finished way down in 52nd and did not even have the consolation of an overall medal, with Spaniard Mario Mola's third place on the day lifting him onto the podium.

Gomez added to his previous titles in 2008 and 2010, with Alistair winning in 2009 and 2011 and Jonny in 2012.

Jonny, 23, was doubly disappointed that he had not been able to keep the family name on the trophy.

He said: "I knew Alistair was struggling going into it. He's literally done four weeks of training the whole year.

"That's why it's even tougher to take because I wanted to win it for him as well. I knew it was up to me."

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