Page 3 Profile: Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Champion Triathletes

Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Champion Triathletes (Getty Images )

Back on top of the world?

Alistair, 25, and Jonny, 23, are the best triathletes in the world. The charismatic and confident Alistair is the reigning Olympic champion, while the quieter and more reserved Jonny is the current world champion. They will race again on Sunday afternoon in Hyde Park to decide who will take this year’s world crown.

Who’s ahead at the moment?

Alistair, above left, leads the series, but by such a narrow margin that if Jonny finishes first, the younger brother will be the outright winner. In third place is the ever-dangerous Javier Gomez of Spain – the man who denied Jonny the silver medal at the London Games last year – and on paper he’s still in the running. In all likelihood, though, it’ll be a win for Britain. What’s more, the Welsh athlete Non Stanford is in the running to take the women’s title on Saturday. To do that, though, she’ll have to overhaul Gwen Jorgenson of the US.

Is triathlon the new cycling?

Well, the triathlon does have a considerable bit of cycling slap bang in the middle, so perhaps that’s why we’re so good at it.

Who should we support?

Your head says Alistair, your heart says Jonny. When both are fully fit, it is the older brother who comes out on top. “Alistair has always beaten me so I kind of expect it now,” Jonny told i earlier this year. “If we’re neck and neck maybe I do give up a little bit.” However, Jonny beat Alistair in Hamburg this year, and the fact that both have been carrying injuries over the season should make for an unpredictable finale. Alistair admitted it had been an “incredibly tough” year, while Jonny hasn’t “really enjoyed it” because “it’s been so fragmented”.