Olympics-Triathlon-Brownlee and Jorgensen set high bar

By Mitch Phillips RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Alistair Brownlee ended the "favourite's curse" when he triumphed on home soil in the 2012 Olympic triathlon and, due to the absence of Javier Gomez, the Englishman starts at even shorter odds in Thursday's swim-bike-run event. The showdown between Brownlee and multiple world champion Gomez, second in 2012, disappeared when the Spaniard broke his arm in a bike crash last month, opening the way for Brownlee to become the first person to win back-to-back triathlon golds. Brownlee has suffered with injury since his London triumph, eventually undergoing ankle surgery after finding he was running almost every race in pain. He still won most of them. Now fully fit and focused, he looks unbeatable. If something goes badly wrong, hyper-consistent younger brother Jonny, who took bronze four years ago, and strong runners Richard Murray of South Africa and Spaniard Mario Mola look best equipped to challenge him. As in 2012, Britain has selected its third man to act as a domestique to the Brownlees, with Gordon Benson effectively sacrificing his own chances to give them a tow through the 40km bike leg that follows a 1.5km sea swim off Copacabana beach. The bike course contains two sharp climbs that have to be tackled eight times - just the sort of technical and physical challenge the Brownlees love, and which should break up the field. "It's a tough, hilly course and I'm excited about the race," said Alistair. If the reigning champion goes into the 10km run anywhere near the front it is almost impossible to see anything but a second gold, though if he does have a weak spot, it could be racing in extreme heat. American Gwen Jorgensen should be an even bigger favourite in the women's race but, as the previous four Olympics have shown, things rarely go to plan in an event with so many variables. The double reigning world champion has totally dominated the International Triathlon Union (ITU) circuit since the last Games, going almost two years unbeaten, taking 13 races in a row, and winning the Rio test event last year. Her long-striding run speed makes her virtually unbeatable if she reaches the second transition anywhere near contention - her chances were ended by a puncture in 2012 - so the rest of the field will be doing their utmost to do some damage on the bike. For the country that invented the sport, the United States has had a thin time since it joined the Olympic party in 2000, with Susan Williams's bronze in 2004 their only medal from the four races to date. Britain has a trio of contenders in with a podium chance -- double former world champion Helen Jenkins, one of the few in the field to have beaten Jorgensen, 2013 world champion Non Stanford, who has the run speed to challenge the American, and Vicky Holland. Also in the field are all three medallists from London, when Switzerland's Nicola Spirig edged out Swede Lisa Norden in a photo finish. Spirig has taken time out to have a baby and has raced sparingly, while bronze winner Erin Densham completes the trio, hoping to maintain Australia's record of medalling in every women's Olympic triathlon. (Editing by Jan Harvey)