Team GB's Alistair Brownlee will compete in Tokyo Olympics triathlon despite postponement
Tokyo 2020 postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic; Brownlee to focus on Ironman after Olympics
Wednesday 25 March 2020 18:17, UK
British triathlete Alistair Brownlee will extend his short-course career by another 12 months following the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics until next year.
The double Olympic champion and his brother Jonny, who are both now back in Britain, had been altitude training in New Mexico when they received the news that this summer's Games have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Brownlee, who won triathlon gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016, admitted he was ready to call time on his short-course career after Tokyo, and re-launch his ambition of challenging on the 'Ironman' circuit but he is committed to competing in Japan in 2021.
The 31-year-old told the PA news agency: "Tokyo 2020 would have 100 per cent been my last short distance race, and I am now going to have to extend it for another year.
"The logical conclusion is that it will be more difficult because I will be another year older.
"But you never know what is going to happen in a year in endurance sport. A year ago I didn't think I would be in the position I am now - I thought my short-course career was effectively over.
"It is still my intention to move on after Tokyo. I want to go back to racing over the longer distances and in the future, I will be concentrating solely on 'Ironman'.
"It is going to be a challenge [competing at next year's Olympics] but there are a lot of people in a far worse position than me.
"The Olympics are an inspirational thing, but when people are in hospital losing their lives, it seems inappropriate if any of those resources are being put into a sporting event."
Current lockdown rules which limit citizens to one piece of exercise per day are likely to frustrate the brothers, who are used to embarking on daily runs and cycles through the Yorkshire countryside.
But Brownlee is keen to keep the issue in perspective and said he felt more for the younger athletes who now face major disruption in their respective quests to reach their first Olympics.
He admitted: "I think it's going to be very tough because I've been outside and active for almost every day of my life.
"But I have got the experience and I think the delay is going to have a bigger impact on those athletes who had been giving absolutely everything to make what would have been their first Games.
"It is a good challenge to come up with a new form of exercise programme. I will do as much as I can do but in terms of the sporting aspect, at least that can now take a bit of a back seat for the time being."
