Tokyo 2020 - ‘I think I’ll be ready for a new challenge’ after Olympics - Team GB’s Jonny Brownlee
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Published 14/04/2021 at 09:58 GMT
The triathlete will be able to upgrade from his bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016 to gold in Tokyo, which he believes will be his last Olympics. Jonny is likely to follow brother Alistair Brownlee into longer distance events, though the double Olympic champion is returning to the shorter form in an effort to qualify for Tokyo.
Jonny Brownlee will be heading to a third Olympic Games
Image credit: Getty Images
Team GB triathlete Jonny Brownlee believes the Tokyo Games will be his last Olympics, as he aims to upgrade his medals to gold.
Having won bronze at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016, both behind his double Olympic gold medal winning brother Alistair, Jonny is aiming to put an inconsistent few years behind him to take the title off him.
Alistair is yet to secure his place on the team for Tokyo - though it is unthinkable that he will not - having focussed on longer distance events.
Jonny looks likely to follow him into the half-marathon ironman, or possibly the full version, and while he thinks it is unlikely he will compete at Paris 2024, he will not completely rule it out.
“Alistair told me 2016 would be his last one and look where we are now,” the younger Brownlee brother, who will be 31 at Tokyo, told the Yorkshire Post.
“But I think I’ll be ready for a new challenge.”
Brownlee has not finished on the final podium at the World Triathlon Series since coming second in 2016 and last won an event two years ago in Edmonton. He admits Tokyo will be harder than previous Games, but reckons it may suit him to go under the radar.
“This time around I’ve not had the best couple of years, so I’m not going in as a favourite,” he said.
After a couple of good years of training I genuinely believe I am a medal contender. I wouldn’t be going if I didn’t believe I was.
“In some ways it will be actually quite nice to go to the Olympics and not have that favourite’s tag. I’ve carried that for the last two, so it will be nice going in knowing that my preparation has gone as well as it possibly can, and that I’m on that start line knowing that I can win an Olympic medal.”
Despite his form, Brownlee says his experience, and that of his brother Alistair, will be key in what has been an uncertain period of training and competition because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This year has been such an unpredictable year, people are wondering is it on or is it off? What’s preparation going to be like? How many races will there be beforehand? Some people are coming to the end of their careers and this might be the last shot at an Olympic medal.
“To be able to prepare the best I can, but have two Olympic medals in the my pocket already, will be a big advantage.”
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