VIDEO: World triathlon series finale ends in a wild and dramatic finish
The elite men’s grand final race at the ITU World Championships in Cozumel featured a wild 10K finish with Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee (photo: Delly Carr).
By Claire Duncan
The elite men’s grand final race at the ITU World Championships in Cozumel, Mexico may go down as the most dramatic finish in WTS history. The video below shows an unexpected finish from the Brownlee brothers.
With just metres to go before the line, world triathlon champion contender Jonathan Brownlee appeared to almost collapse on the sidelines, but his brother Alistair, who was in the lead, rushed to his side to support him to finish in second and third respectively.
Video
The 2016 WTS season ends in a dramatic fashion. What. A. Year. #WTS2016 pic.twitter.com/nvqNrrI13D
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) September 19, 2016
South Africa’s Henri Schoeman, who earned bronze in Rio behind the Brownlees, won his first WTS title as he passed both brothers en route to the victory.
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Following an appeal by the Spanish Triathlon Federation to disqualify Jonathan Brownlee for accepting assistance from Alistair Brownlee to finish the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Cozumel, during which Jonathan struggled with heat exhaustion in the final portion of the run, the ITU competition jury unanimously ruled against disqualifying Jonathan. The ITU Competition Jury made this decision in accordance to Appendix K, Rule 7, which states that athletes can receive help from another athlete, Technical Official or Race Official.
Extended footage
“I have been in that position before, when it happened to me in London a few years ago, I remember being in second place and then coming around and someone telling me I was in tenth,” Alistair Brownlee said. “I couldn’t remember all of those people passing me. So I swore that, literally if it happened to anyone I would help them across the line. It is an awful position to be in, if he clunks out 1k from the finish line there is no medical support, it is a dangerous position to be in. Obviously the World Series is a big race, but I just had to do what was right in that situation.”
The aftermath
Not how I wanted to end the season, but gave it everything. Thanks @AliBrownleetri, your loyalty is incredible pic.twitter.com/6uG4QiIgfS
— Jonathan Brownlee (@jonny_brownlee) September 19, 2016
With files from Triathlon Magazine Canada.
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