{"id":2096,"date":"2021-07-24T09:22:51","date_gmt":"2021-07-24T07:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1278524"},"modified":"2021-07-24T09:22:51","modified_gmt":"2021-07-24T07:22:51","slug":"alistair-brownlee-ive-definitely-been-to-my-last-olympics","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/alistair-brownlee-ive-definitely-been-to-my-last-olympics\/","title":{"rendered":"Alistair Brownlee: \u201cI\u2019ve definitely been to my last Olympics\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alistair Brownlee chatted exclusively to RadioTimes.com about missing the Olympics, sporting inspirations and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s mum’s lasagne. <\/p>

By Michael Potts\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 24 July 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

The Tokyo Olympic Games<\/a> may be in their fledgling days, but it\u2019s the end of an era for Team GB without Alistair Brownlee among its ranks.<\/p>\n

The Brownlee brothers \u2013 Alistair and Jonny \u2013 have been superb and successful representatives for Britain throughout their esteemed careers, though their legacy moment is not one of all-conquering success, but of the former forgoing a shot at glory to bundle the latter brother over the line in a World Series event.<\/p>\n

Now, for the first time since 2008, the brothers will be separated for an Olympic Games. Jonny, in Tokyo gunning for gold, Alistair, at home after failing to qualify for the two-man team. Alex Yee will occupy the second slot.<\/p>\n

The 33-year-old had been suffering from months of injuries, hampering his push for the Olympic team, and his final chance went up in smoke as he was disqualified from an event in his hometown, Leeds, for allegedly \u2018ducking\u2019 (pushing) a rival during the swim. Alistair claims it was an accidental collision.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive chat with RadioTimes.com<\/a><\/strong>, Brownlee has confirmed what many had suspected: \u201cI\u2019ve been to my last Olympic Games. I definitely won\u2019t be competing in Paris [2024].<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely love the Olympic Games and the Olympic movement. I can remember as an eight-year-old staying up watching the Atlanta games in \u201996. I remember as a 12-year-old staying up in the night to watch triathlon make its debut in Sydney 2000.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt inspired and motivated me to train for triathlon even though the Olympics seemed completely irrelevant at the time. I just thought it was incredible that triathlon was a sport that made it.<\/p>

\u201cAnd obviously since 2008, the Olympics have been a part of my life, competing in it. I think it\u2019s absolutely fantastic that the Olympics are going on this year in Japan after everything that\u2019s been happening in the world over the last 18 months.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think the Olympic movement as a whole has got a significant role to play in the modern world. It may be more significant than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the least surprising news you\u2019ve read this week, while Alistair was left disappointed at failing to make the cut, he is fully supportive of his brother once more alongside Yee, who won the event in Leeds and will make his Olympic debut in Japan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say happy but I\u2019m completely at peace and resigned to the fact I\u2019m not going, definitely. I\u2019m more than happy about the career I\u2019ve had in elite sport and in Olympic-distance triathlon racing. It was obviously a shame that I didn\u2019t make it but I\u2019ve been struggling with an injury for months and months. It has been tough and stressful, and to be honest, as it is now, I\u2019m really looking forward to standing on the sidelines and watching the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s absolutely great for Jonny, that he\u2019s qualified, I\u2019m really happy for him. For him to go to his third Olympics, it would be an absolutely incredible achievement if he gets a medal or even won, that would be amazing. I have passed on tips as and where I can but to be honest with you, he\u2019s been to two Olympic Games so he doesn\u2019t need a lot from me!<\/p>\n

\""Brownlee\"<\/div>
Brownlee Brothers (GETTY)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

\u201cIn sport, especially endurance sport, lots of people have an idea that there\u2019s painful training involved. I get asked that question all the time: \u2018How do you go through that pain and discomfort every day?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing people may not realise is the consistency, day in, day out, day in, day out, for months and months, and years and years. It\u2019s seven days a week, 12 months of the year, years on end without days off, often doing four, five, six, seven hours training in triathlon\u2019s case.\u201d<\/p>\n

If your jaw has dropped a notch or two, you are certainly not alone. The rigours of elite-level sport are not for the faint-hearted, and Brownlee has recently spent time doing his own research into how \u2013 and why \u2013 some of his sporting heroes do what they do.<\/p>\n

He has authored Relentless: Secrets of the Sporting Elite<\/a> featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in British and world sport to discover what makes them tick with the likes of Chris Froome and Paula Radcliffe \u2013 from Brownlee\u2019s relatively familiar athletics world \u2013 joined by stars from a range of sports including former England cricket captain Alastair Cook, champion jockey AP McCoy and snooker legend Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to sit down and chat to Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan over a plate of his mum\u2019s lasagne was just absolutely brilliant,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things Ronnie says really well is about disliking the \u2018genius\u2019 label and undermining the hard work and the time he puts in. I really enjoyed speaking to people from sports that, to be very frank, I\u2019m pretty ignorant about. I was fascinated to learn from the jump jockeys, Richard Dunwoody and AP McCoy, about their racing. I know a little bit about horse racing but only what I see on TV or when I\u2019ve been to the races for the day. Learning about the frequency of the racing, you know, they talk about race wins and losses in the 1000s and injuries in hundreds, years competing at the top in decades \u2013 just incredible.<\/p>\n

Read more from The Big RT Interview<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n