Jonny Brownlee was crowned world triathlon champion after finishing second in Auckland
Jonny Brownlee claimed the world triathlon title with second place in Auckland to cap a memorable year for his family.
Last Updated: 30/10/12 3:57pm
The 22-year-old, whose brother Alistair won gold at the London Olympics, entered the World Triathlon Series Grand Final needing just a podium place to secure the title.
And while he was beaten into second on a wet day in Auckland by title rival Javier Gomez, the Spaniard could not overhaul's Brownlee's lead in the overall standings.
Gomez won a sprint to the line to finish two seconds ahead of Brownlee, whose elder sibling was not competing as he recovers from having his appendix removed in September.
"It was a tough day today," said Brownlee, who won races in San Diego, Madrid and Stockholm this season.
"The bike was really hard and the first bit of the run everyone was tired. The first two laps were nice and easy and then Javier attacked and it came to a sprint at the end and my tactics were shocking; I led him out into the wind and he just came past me.
"I am pleased the season's over, it's been a long year and I'm tired now."
