Jonathan Callum Brownlee[6]MBE (born 30 April 1990) is an English professional duathlete and triathlete. He is a six-time World champion (once World Triathlon Series, twice World Sprint Triathlon, three-time World Triathlon Mixed Relay), and one-time Olympic champion (mixed relay) in triathlon.
Brownlee was the 2012 Triathlon World Champion, and the silver medallist in 2013 and 2016. Brownlee is also a two-time World Sprint Triathlon Champion when it was held as a separate event between 2010 and 2011. He is the former Under-23 Triathlon World Champion (2010).
Brownlee also finished the 2021 Super League Triathlon Championship Series in 3rd place, behind fellow Team Relay member Alex Yee and Olympic bronze medallist, Hayden Wilde of New Zealand.[7] He had finished on the podium in 3 of the 4 Championship Series races.[8][9][10] In 2022 he also finished in 3rd place overall. He finished in second place at the series finale in NEOM, Saudi Arabia, ahead of overall Champion Hayden Wilde and behind 2nd placed Matthew Hauser.[11] His brother, Alistair Brownlee, is also a triathlon champion, having won the gold medal at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
As of 2021, Jonathan was considered the most decorated triathlete in Olympic history, the only triathlete to achieve 3 Olympic medals, while his brother Alistair, with his two gold medals, is considered the most successful triathlete in Olympic history. Between them, the Brownlee brothers, along with Spanish pair Mario Mola and Javier Gomez, and latterly Frenchman Vincent Luis, were the dominant male 'Olympic' distance triathletes for most of the 2010's. In 2024, Brownlee's countryman Alex Yee surpased these records when he won the individual race, and bronze in the team relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics to give him 2 golds, a silver and a bronze in Olympic triathlon.
Early life
Brownlee was educated at Bradford Grammar School before attending the University of Leeds, where he studied history.[12][13] He swam for Aireborough Swimming club and still holds the record for the A&W boys 9/10 yrs 2 lengths backstroke, which was set in 2000. He is a member of the Bingley Harriers and is coached by Malcolm Brown and Jack Maitland at the British Triathlon Federation's High Performance Centre, based at Leeds Metropolitan University's Carnegie Centre. Jonny is the joint record holder (with his brother Alistair) for most wins in the Chevin Chase with 5 wins - Jonny won the Chevin Chase in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2016.
His father Keith was a runner, while his mother Cathy was a swimmer.[14] His older brother Alistair Brownlee holds two Olympic titles in the triathlon event (2012, 2016), and is a two-time Triathlon World Champion (2009, 2011). His younger brother Edward, who was a very successful academic, is also a keen sportsman, but prefers rugby and water polo over the triathlon.[15]
Brownlee was the British youth champion in both the triathlon and duathlon in 2006 and 2007.[1] In 2008 he won bronze medals at both the ETU European Junior Triathlon Championships and ITU World Junior Championships, and placed 17th in his ITU World Championship Series début event in Kitzbühel.[16][17] During the 2009 season he also won gold in the triathlon at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival and competed in two races in the 2009 ITU World Championship Series, finishing 13th in Kitzbühel and 27th in London.[16][17]
In 2010, Brownlee represented the French club ECS Triathlon and took part in the prestigious French Club Championship Series Lyonnaise des Eaux, also called Grand Prix. In Dunkirk, at the first triathlon of this circuit, he won the gold medal in the individual ranking which helped EC Sartrouville to win the silver medal.[18]
In the five years from 2006 to 2010, Jonathan Brownlee took part in 23 ITU competitions and achieved 14 top ten positions, winning five gold medals.
The following list is based upon the official ITU rankings and the Athlete's Profile Page.[23] Unless indicated otherwise, the following events are triathlons (Olympic Distance) and belong to the Elite category.
Date
Competition
Place
Rank
30 July 2006
European Cup (Junior)
Salford
2 September 2006
World Championships (Junior)
Lausanne
DNF
19 May 2007
Duathlon World Championships (Junior)
Győr
9
16 June 2007
Duathlon European Championships (Junior)
Edinburgh
DNS
29 June 2007
European Championships (Junior)
Copenhagen
5
30 August 2007
BG World Championships (Junior)
Hamburg
15
10 May 2008
European Championships (Junior)
Lisbon
5 June 2008
BG World Championships (Junior)
Vancouver
20 July 2008
BG World Cup
Kitzbühel
17
6 September 2008
European Championships (U23)
Pulpí
10
27 September 2008
Duathlon World Championships (Junior)
Rimini
13
14 January 2009
Australian Youth Olympic Festival
Sydney
20 June 2009
European Cup (Junior)
Tarzo Revine
2 July 2009
European Championships (Junior)
Holten
11 July 2009
Dextro Energy World Championship Series
Kitzbühel
13
15 August 2009
Dextro Energy World Championship Series
London
26
9 September 2009
Dextro Energy World Championship Series, Grand Final: World Championships (Junior)
Gold Coast
5 June 2010
Dextro Energy World Championship Series
Madrid
28
3 July 2010
European Championships
Athlone
38
25 July 2010
Dextro Energy World Championship Series
London
21 August 2010
Sprint World Championships
Lausanne
28 August 2010
European Championships (U23)
Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto)
8 September 2010
Dextro Energy World Championship Series, Grand Final: World Championships (U23)
Budapest
Key:BG = British Gas (the sponsor); DNF = Did not finish; DNS = Did not start; U23 = Under 23
^"Sporting stars win golden grades". The Yorkshire Post. Leeds. 14 August 2008. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2009. Jonathan Brownlee, 18, a pupil at Bradford Grammar School, discovered he had achieved A grades in chemistry, history and biology and a B in Spanish before jumping onto a plane to Beijing to join up with the British Olympic team.