Yee hoping to continue Brownlee legacy when postponed triathlon gets underway

By Will Jennings in Paris

Alex Yee admits he feels a ‘responsibility’ to continue the Brownlee brothers’ storied Olympic legacy as he prepares for a Paris triathlon still shrouded in uncertainty.

The Tokyo silver medallist, 26, will gun for glory on Wednesday as he swims, bikes and runs his way through the French capital bidding to follow in the footsteps of the British heroes who came before him.

Alistair grabbed two memorable golds at London 2012 and Rio 2016 as Jonny bagged bronze and silvers to help cap a golden era for Team GB on the global stage.

Loughborough star Yee, who combined with Jonny, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Jess Learmonth to win mixed relay gold in the Japan three years ago, will now hope to emulate the siblings’ heroics in the gruelling event – consisting of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle, and 10 km run – as fellow Brit Sam Dickinson also flies the Team GB flag.

But concerns remain around the water quality in the River Seine – where the swimming leg is due to take place – after the men's race was postponed until Wednesday and both Sunday and Monday’s practice sessions were cancelled owing to high levels of pollution.

Yee will face a nervous wait to see if his hotly-anticipated showdown with red-hot rival Hayden Wilde will go ahead as planned, with two contingency days scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

But speaking ahead of a first Olympics without a Brownlee competing since Athens 2004, Yee hopes to channel inspiration from their former glories and replicate the type of performance that saw him crowned Paris Test Event champion last year.

“I wouldn’t say the baton has passed on to me, but I feel a responsibility now that sadly, Jonny isn’t here,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep their legacy living on. We’ve got such a rich heritage in British triathlon, and I’d love to keep that going.

“For me, watching the Olympics and then being able to be on a team with some of those guys, I hope I can do a similar thing with somebody in a few years’ time.

“That’s how the cycle goes and I’m really looking forward to the next few years with that enjoyment of people supporting me.”

All three Tokyo medallists are returning in Paris, with Yee and Wilde joined by gold winning Kristian Blummenfelt, who is attempting a devilishly difficult step back down from Ironman to Olympic distance.

Yee and Kiwi ‘frenemy’ Wilde have shared a number of close battles in recent years, with their rivalry emerging from a trend that sees triathlons increasingly decided on the running leg.

But this is far from a two-horse race, with the host nation able to field the last two world champions in Leo Bergere and Dorian Coninx.

Yee added: “I think it’s going to be a hard race from the gun.

“It’ll be a triathlon, for sure, and the current is going to play a big role. It’s incredibly strong under the water.

“People are going to make the race hard and some people won’t want to leave it to a run race and other people will. I’ll do my best to be at the front throughout and be competitive the whole way through.”

Watch every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live only on discovery+, the streaming home of the Olympics.