Brownlee delays Olympic farewell

OLYMPICS: Alistair Brownlee is preparing to extend his Olympic career by another 12 months following the announcement that the Tokyo Games have been postponed until 2021.

The double triathlon gold medallist and his brother Jonny were altitude training in New Mexico when news of the delay came through, prompting a “scary” dash back to Britain on one of the few remaining flights.

The 31-year-old Brownlee admitted he was “100 per cent” ready to call time on his shortcourse career after Tokyo, and re-launch his ambition of challenging on the ‘Ironman’ circuit.

Brownlee said: “Tokyo 2020 would have 100 per cent been my last short distance race, and I am now going to have to extend it for another year.

“The logical conclusion is that it will be more difficult because I will be another year older.

“But you never know what is going to happen in a year in endurance sport. A year ago I didn’t think I would be in the position I am now - I thought my short-course career was effectively over.

“It is going to be a challenge but there are a lot of people in a far worse position than me.

“The Olympics are an inspirational thing, but when people are in hospital losing their lives, it seems inappropriate if any of those resources are being put into a sporting event.”

Brownlee considered himself fortunate to make it home to Leeds on Wednesday after catching one of the few stillavailable overnight flights back from Boston.

He said: “We were training as hard as possible and thinking what more we could do to maximise our preparations for the Olympics, and the next thing the Games were cancelled and the Foreign Office were telling us to get home.”