My city’s now the best in the world for triathlon, says Olympic double medallist
OLYMPIC TRIATHLETE Jonny Brownlee described Leeds as the “best triathlon city in the whole world” yesterday as he officially opened a new £5m elite training centre and cycle circuit named in his honour.
Officials behind the new Brownlee Centre, and a milelong cycle track next to it in on University of Leeds land in Adel, say it will benefit everyone from beginners to elite athletes.
Eight months after claiming gold and silver in the Rio Olympics, Alistair and Jonny Brownlee opened the facility, which will become the training base for the elite performance centre based in Leeds.
The UK’s first purposebuilt triathlon training base, it will combine a strength and conditioning training suite, physiotherapy, medical and other support services, to provide world-class facilities to enhance triathlon training in the region.
It looks out into a closed-road cycle track which is one of the longest in the country and will offer cyclists of all abilities the chance to train in a traffic-free environment.
Opening the centre yesterday, Jonny Brownlee said: “It really truly is the best triathlon city in the whole world now – not just the best city in the world.
“It’s what we’re all about in this sport, we’re literally going to be using this facility at the same time as young kids.”