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Former Olympic champion Jonny Brownlee retires
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- Former Olympic champion Jonny Brownlee retires
Jonny Brownlee is a six-time world champion and three-time Olympic medallist [Getty Images]
Former world and Olympic champion Jonny Brownlee has retired at the age of 36.
The Briton won Olympic bronze at London 2012, silver at Rio 2016 and gold in the mixed relay at Tokyo 2020.
He is also a six‑time world champion and won mixed team relay gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
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Brother Alistair, a double Olympic champion, retired at the age of 36 in 2024.
"I've been thinking about it for a while. I've won more than I ever thought I'd ever achieve," Jonny told BBC Sport.
"One thing I'm really proud of is we full on committed to winning Olympic medals and delivering our best performance. And now I just don't think I can do that any more.
"It's over for professional sport, but I don't think you ever truly stop."
Brownlee said the birth of his son Freddie 10 months ago clarified his plans for the future.
"I don't think I can have that commitment because of how life is. He's my priority now, my family, but also with my body as well," said Brownlee.
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"The thought of missing a training session used to be the worst thing in the world, whereas now, if Freddie is ill or needs me, then without question I do that.
"I used to have absolutely no fear with racing. I used to dive into corners on my bike at 60kph and not care.
"If I hit that corner and crash, then I can't hold Freddie for five to six weeks if I have got a broken wrist. I was asking if that was really worth it any more."
In a glittering career, Brownlee said the moments that resonate most are London 2012 and the World Series coming to his home city of Leeds in 2016.
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"To deliver those medals [in 2012] was something I'm incredibly proud of," he said.
"The first time racing in Leeds kind of symbolised everything, the whole journey.
"The fact that there was a World Series in Leeds was just unthinkable when we started triathlon, and then to come into the Millennium Square for the first time was one of the proudest moments of my life and something I'll never forget."
Brownlee said sharing such a long career alongside Alistair was "unbelievably special", but that the famous 2016 World Series Triathlon race in Mexico played on his mind.
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Jonny was leading when his legs started to give way on the run leg in gruelling heat.
Alistair, who was in third at the time, propped Jonny up for the final 700m and helped him over the line.
"It really annoyed me at the start. I've got multiple Olympic medals, world championships - and that got remembered," said Brownlee.
"Quite often now people say 'Which one are you? Are you the one who did the carrying or the one who got carried?' So yeah, it does grate me a little bit."
However, Brownlee said he is "proud" of the moment and that it underlined the importance of helping others.
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Brownlee said he knew there was one medal left to claim before he stepped away - an Olympic gold.
Brownlee said he "committed everything" and "used my last bits of energy" to take mixed triathlon gold alongside Jessica Learmonth, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee at the Tokyo Olympics.
"If I hadn't won that Olympic gold medal I think there would always be something missing," he said.
He said winning gold was the moment he was "finally known as Jonny Brownlee, and not as the person who came 10, 15 seconds behind Alistair".
"I'm incredibly proud that we've had an impact on the sport," he said.
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"It's time to move on because I wouldn't be doing myself justice by doing it half-heartedly any more.
"Although they are saying I'm retiring from professional racing, I'm definitely not stopping the sport. If anything, I'm actually going to race more."
