Alistair Brownlee took his penalty for fractionally overstepping the dismount line on the bike on the chin at the Singapore T100 and will now focus on making a full recovery from the ankle issue which emerged at exactly the same time.
The two-time Olympic champion had – as ever – animated the race as he tried to drive the chase pack on the bike to close down the gap on leader and eventual winner Youri Keulen in the stifling heat and humidity.
‘Hoping it’s nothing serious’
But heading into T2 he was hit with a 30-second penalty and he explained on the live broadcast: “As soon as I hit the ground off the bike, I [felt like I’d] pulled something in my ankle.
“And then I got running and I thought, oh okay and it sort of went away, but then when I started running again after I’d stopped [to serve the penalty] it was really sore.”
He would exit the race soon after and writing later on Instagram, he added: “Not the outcome I wanted from T100 Singapore but trying to take the positives from what was a strong race up until bike dismount where I felt something in my ankle. Hoping it’s nothing serious.
“Congratulations to @youri_keulen for an amazing performance to take the win and to the podium @samgolong @pieter.heemeryck 👏”
‘Rules are rules’
And Brownlee was praised by none other than the man he succeeded as Olympic champion, Jan Frodeno, for his reaction when asked about the penalty on the race broadcast.
Brownlee had stated: “Rules are rules aren’t they?
“We can argue the merit of the rule – because you’re not gaining an advantage – but rules are rules and looks like I was over the line so I’ve got to have a penalty.”
To which Frodeno added: “Mindset of a champion. That’s exactly it. You accept the rules. You may have been close [but] it’s a referee’s call. He’s not questioning it. He’s not saying it was someone else’s fault.
“That’s why Alistair is Alistair Brownlee. He’s just got that mindset.”
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