No Rest For Olympic Favorite Alistair Brownlee

Not even on Christmas Day will Alistair Brownlee allow himself a day’s rest.

A light run is scheduled somewhere between the unwrapping of presents and the Christmas turkey.

Daley Thompson famously trained three times on December 25 because he knew it would give him an advantage over rivals who had their feet up.

Brownlee does not require the same intensity 365 days a year.

For the Yorkshireman has the world of triathlon in his pocket.

World champion in 2009, European champion in 2010, he went and won both titles in an honour-laden 2011.

Thompson is famous for winning two Olympic gold medals in the decathlon in the 1980s.

Brownlee, 23, has fame at his fingertips. He is the overwhelming favourite to win triathlon gold at next summer’s London Games.

That his closest challenger is his younger brother Jonny, gives him an extra edge over the best triathletes in the world.

PHOTOS: A Look At The Lives Of The Brownlee Brothers

For Spain’s Javier Gomez and the rest of the triathlon elite do not know whether to treat the Leeds brothers as individuals or as a team.

Either way, the Brownlees are set to write one of the great chapters of next year’s Olympic story.

Brothers in arms going for gold in the mother of all endurance sports. It could be unbeatable.

If 2011 has been a breakthrough year for Jonny, for Alistair it has been a season when he rubber-stamped his status as the world’s best.

Four wins around the globe in the World Series, including one preliminary victory over the Olympic course in Hyde Park, saw him regain his world title at a canter.

What was remarkable about the manner of how he regained his European title in June was that he suffered a puncture midway through the cycle race.

Having kept on the tail of the leaders in the swim before taking up the reins in the cycle race, the puncture, while inopportune, did at least present him with the chance to show his phenomenal drive and strength of mind.

Brownlee lost two minutes to the leading cyclists while he repaired his tyre, but within two laps of the technical misfortune he had taken 30 seconds out of the lead group.

He owed his brother Jonny a debt of gratitude for the 21-year-old’s self-sacrifice, slowing the leaders and keeping his chances of victory alive.

“I had great support from the team,” Alistair said. “Jonny did some blocking. I’m sure he would have won (the title) if he hadn’t.”

Read more: Yorkshirepost.co.uk