It appears Brit Alistair Brownlee will not go for an Olympic triathlon three-peat in Tokyo.
Brownlee’s hopes may have been dashed after being disqualified from a World Series race on Sunday in Leeds, Great Britain.
Brownlee was called for “unsportsmanship behavior” during the swim segment and reportedly pushed an American triathlete in the water.
Brownlee, 33, last made a World Series podium in 2017 and has scantly raced the Olympic distance since.
He moved up to the Ironman in 2019, finishing 21st in the Kona World Championships. He then moved back down to Olympic distance. In two international races this year, he failed to finish and was disqualified.
“That’s not how I wanted my last World Triathlon series race to pan out,” he posted on Twitter. “I’ve struggled with an ankle injury for three months and have done everything possible to get it better and stay fit for racing. I knew I needed a lot of luck today and it wasn’t to be.
“I’m very embarrassed about being Dq’d. The swim action was completely unintentional and I’ve had worse done to me in every race World Series race I’ve ever done. However it is a field of play decision and I chose not to protest it.
“I think GB have a great team going to the Olympics and I wish them all the best.”
Brownlee, 33, posted that he needs ankle surgery and will focus on getting healthy and then longer distance triathlons.
Jonny Brownlee, Alistair’s younger brother who shared the podium in London and Rio, and Alex Yee, who won the Leeds race, appear destined for Tokyo. It’s possible that Great Britain can earn a third men’s spot later this month via world rankings.
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