Alistair Brownlee will choose Olympic glory or Ironman triathlons in 2020
ALISTAIR BROWNLEE will decide this summer whether he will try to win a third Olympic gold medal – or become an Ironman.
The London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics hero is at a crossroads in his career following a succession of niggles and injuries.
Brownlee will determine with his coach if his body can sustain the rigours of Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification – which begins with the test event there on August 15.
If the 31-year-old feels he won’t be competitive in Japan, then he will end his Olympics dream and focus instead of the longer format of his sport.
He has already committed to racing in his first Ironman in Cork, Ireland, on June 23, and may decide to race at the worlds in Kona, Hawaii, this autumn.
Ahead of the Leeds leg of the ITU World Triathlon Series, Brownlee told SunSport: “I’m not sure about the Olympics just yet. I haven’t decided.
“I’m competitive, I love sport. Triathlon has been my life.
I won’t be at the Olympics to make up the numbers. I want to be there because I believe I can win.
Alistair Brownlee
"I have never thought about quitting. But I have thought this might be the end of the road for the Olympics.
“This is why I am racing now, to see what position I am in and how fit I can. For me, I have to get to the position where I can win medals.
“There is qualification going on at the moment.
"Ideally I’d be a little bit further on in this process. It’s a constant flux.
“I have a few more hurdles to cross and boxes to tick before I decide it’s definitely worth committing to.
More Tokyo 2020 Olympics
“It’s a combination of positions and how well races go. What it comes down to is me showing myself I can be competitive at that level.
"I’ll have a sit-down after Leeds and decide what the next eight weeks look like.
“I won’t be at the Olympics to make up the numbers. I want to be there because I believe I can win.
“At the moment, I’m still 50-50. But to put that into context, I was probably 20-80 the wrong way around only a month or six weeks ago. It has swung.
“If I don’t go, then I will focus on longer-distances. I’ve done a bit of half-Ironman racing already.”
Since winning his second Olympic gold medal in Brazil three years ago, Brownlee had spent far more time on the treatment table and seeing doctors than he would have liked.
He has had calf and Achilles issues and also underwent a hip reattachment operation in 2017. But for the past 6 or 7 months he says he has been “pretty much healthy”.
In recent weeks, he won at the ITU Cagliari World Cup and a fourth ETU Triathlon European Championships in Holland.
Yet given how his body has been ravaged by injuries, he admits he has mental scars when it comes to how hard he can push himself.
Brownlee admitted: “You worry about your body more. There is a slight shift in psyche.
“If the body isn’t healthy and isn’t injury-free, then I cannot go out and train to the best of my abilities. The priority now is making sure that the body is healthy.
“Racing this weekend in Leeds will be a big step-up. And it will be a lot harder. I’m on a bit of a curve and progression after a long time away.
“I did have doubts even if I could train at the level that is required to get back to where it is needed.
“But I love racing and training. And that remains really important to me.”