World Triathlon Series in Madrid Alistair Brownlee races to an unexpected gold
Last updated 07/06/2010 12:28:06
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World Triathlon Series in Madrid Alistair Brownlee races to an unexpected gold (c) Helen Turton
World Champion Alistair Brownlee returned from a long injury break to storm to a stunning and unexpected victory in the World Triathlon Series in Madrid. It was Brownlee's first race back after a leg injury forced him to miss the first two races of the season.
The 22 year old Briton suffered a stress fracture picked up during off-season training but he showed little sign of his problems as he stunned his rivals with a commanding performance over all three legs.
Brother Jonathan provided the pacemaking for the first two legs, he beat Australian favourite Courtney Atkinson into second place.
"That win overshadows anything I did last year, it's the proudest victory that I've ever had because I had to fight so hard for it," Brownlee said.
The result marked a sensational return for the rising star from Leeds, who had been forced to sit out the Sydney and Seoul legs of the series.
After picking up his third stress fracture in his short career, Brownlee admitted in April that if he did not recover in time for Madrid then the "series was over".
Having not raced a triathlon since winning the world title last September, Brownlee came through stifling conditions in the Spanish capital to win in one hour 52 minutes and 41 seconds.
In-form Australian Atkinson was fully 10 seconds behind in silver medal place while Switzerland's Sven Riederer and local favourite Javier Gomez came home in third and fourth.
"I definitely wasn't expecting to win," added Brownlee, who was helped in the bike and swim phases by his younger brother Jonathan acting as pacemaker.
"I was running for second place and with 500m to go I gave it everything I had. I looked back and couldn't believe the gap that I had opened up. I had to give it everything to win.
"I like this course because it finds the all-round athletes who want to work hard on the hill every time. The guys who went for it today got into a break and it worked."
Other British competitors in action were Will Clarke and Olly Freeman, finishing 12th and 13th respectively.
The results are hugely encouraging for the British team now preparing for the season's biggest races in London's Hyde Park and Budapest.
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