One of the most consistent triathletes in the elite ranks, Georgia Taylor-Brown is no stranger to the winner’s enclosure, whether individually or as a crucial member of national relay teams.
European titles, world titles and, now, Olympic titles feature on her CV. And, at only 28, there’s still time to add more to the pile. For now though, it’s time to take a deep dive into the British ace’s career so far.
Who is Georgia Taylor-Brown?
The fates were probably decided at an early stage. Born in Manchester to an international runner father and a national-level swimmer mother, it was surely inevitable that Georgia Taylor-Brown would move into a sport combining the two.
Or two sports, in fact. Initially it was duathlon, with the teenager claiming the world junior title in France in 2012, the same year she took the European junior triathlon crown (which she would retain in 2013).
By then, Taylor-Brown had moved to attend university in Leeds, the hotbed of British triathlon. Since 2017, she’s been a staple of the WTS circuit, a model of consistency who’s rarely far from the podium.
Her adopted hometown has been a particularly happy hunting-ground, with a silver in 2018 and a gold the following year. In 2020, Taylor-Brown took the WTS title, winning a single-race, sprint-distance shoot-out in Hamburg.
!["Portrait]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/34/2022/03/portrait-of-triathlete-georgia-taylor-brown-dabc3c2-1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Team")
A regular – and regularly high-performing – member of the GB team, Taylor-Brown has been an invaluable part of the mixed relay squad, no more so than in 2021 when the GB foursome surged to golden glory.
With Taylor-Brown joined by Alex Yee, Jonny Brownlee and Jess Learmonth, an invincible team was forged. The gold went into the suitcase home, joining the silver she won a few days earlier in a dramatic women’s individual race.
Taylor-Brown’s glorious 2021 was capped by Super League Triathlon success in Malibu. Having finished second in all four races, she pipped her compatriot and friend Jess Learmonth to the title. As ever, consistency wins the day.
How old is Georgia Taylor-Brown?
Georgia Taylor-Brown was born on 15 March 1994, making her 28 years old.
Georgia Taylor-Brown’s career highlights
June 2013: The best junior in Europe – again
In Alanya in Turkey, Taylor-Brown wins her second consecutive European Junior title, the same year she won silver in the World Junior Championships. Two days later, she also takes gold as part of the British mixed relay team. A career at the sport’s highest level surely awaits.
May 2017: Announces her arrival on the elite scene with masterful Madrid race
No hint of nerves as Taylor-Brown pulls up a seat at triathlon’s top table. Her debut elite win comes in a World Cup race in Madrid, where she takes a comfortable victory with almost a minute to spare over the rest of the field.
June 2018: Hometown cheers for a first WTS podium
In her adopted hometown of Leeds, Taylor-Brown secures her first WTS podium place, finishing second behind compatriot Vicky Holland. A double dose of bronze in the Canadian races – Montreal and Edmonton – allows her to finish third overall in the series.
June 2019: Twelve months later, GTB is the Leeds number one
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Having come second in last year’s race, Taylor-Brown delights her home crowd with her maiden WTS race win in Leeds. As per 2018, her consistency across the season gives her another third-place finish overall at season’s end.
September 2020: Taylor-Brown cruises to world champs glory
With the WTS series cut down to a single race because of the pandemic, a new course in Hamburg is the location for a sprint showdown. The Englishwoman shows her class on the run, easing away from the pack after just a kilometre. The result is never in question.
July 2021: A case of ‘if only’ at the Olympics
Disaster strikes at the Tokyo Olympics where Taylor-Brown suffers a flat tyre on the final lap of the bike leg. Extraordinarily, she reels everyone back during the run – all except Flora Duffy, who holds on for Bermuda’s first Olympic gold. Taylor-Brown’s silver is all the more remarkable as, 12 weeks earlier, a leg injury left her on crutches.
July 2021: The tag-team converts silver into gold
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Great Britain’s formidable mixed relay team – Jessica Learmonth, Jonathan Brownlee, Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee – show their collective class as they masterfully distance themselves from the rest of the pack to add gold to Taylor-Brown and Yee’s individual silvers.
January 2022: Another gong to add to the collection
In the New Year’s Honours List, Taylor-Brown was appointed an MBE for services to triathlon, specifically winning those two Olympic medals in Great Britain colours.
Georgia Taylor-Brown quotes
On her post-pandemic WTS overall title in 2020: “I wasn’t confident at all. I didn’t really expect much from myself. I was just grateful to be able to race again.”
On that flat tyre in the Tokyo Olympics individual race: “I didn’t know what to do, so I just ride out on the flat. It was panic mode, but it paid off.”
On being the third leg of the victorious mixed relay team in Tokyo: “I knew I had to give everything in that last run lap and gives as big a gap as I could to Yee Boy!”
On Super League success in 2021: “In Super League, it’s all the small things. If you get a good transition, that can make the race for you.”
What next for Georgia Taylor-Brown?
Having won the worlds in 2020 when it was reduced to a single sprint race, the most obvious target would be to regain the title across a full series of races. Her trademark consistency suggests she’s the woman for the job.
Top image credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images