Alistair and Jonny Brownlee pre-selected for Rio Olympic triathlon
Last Updated: 05/11/15 10:10am
Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have both been pre-selected for next year's Rio Olympics despite failing to meet British Triathlon's automatic qualification criteria.
The London 2012 gold and bronze medallists join Non Stanford and Vicky Holland, who guaranteed their places in the team by winning medals at both the test event and the World Triathlon Series grand final in Chicago this summer.
Both Brownlee brothers suffered seasons blighted by injury, with Alistair opting to undergo surgery on his troublesome ankle after finishing 10th in the test event.
Jonny missed that race because of a stress fracture and, although he did compete in Chicago, he was not back to full fitness and came home 12th.
But the British Triathlon Olympic nomination committee pre-selected the pair based on evidence of their ability to win a medal at the Olympics.
One space in each of the men's and women's team remains open, with the final nominations due to be announced next June.
Commonwealth champion Jodie Stimpson and two-time former world champion Helen Jenkins look set to do battle for the final women's spot, while the third man could well be an athlete selected to help the Brownlees.
A British Triathlon statement read: "It is hoped that British Triathlon will be able to nominate three men and three women based on ITU ranking points."
