A brand new team with Jonny Brownlee as a player / manager and Beth Potter and Alex Yee the big-name early signings – it’s all part of Thursday’s (July 4) big news that Brownlee Racing have acquired the final team franchise in global triathlon series supertri.
Britain’s famous Olympian brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have launched the new endurance race team – Brownlee Racing – with the aim of maintaining Britain’s position at the top of Olympic Triathlon racing.
Jonny Brownlee will act as Brownlee Racing’s player / manager for the 2024 supertri season and the first two names on the team sheet couldn’t be stronger, with Potter and Yee, who each auto-qualified for Team GB, both favourites for gold at the Olympics in Paris later this month.
Looking to the future
The first sporting engagement for Brownlee Racing will be acquiring and competing as one of four new teams in the innovative global triathlon series, supertri. This strategic investment provides a strong platform for the brothers to showcase their team’s talent, build a loyal fan base, and support the effort to elevate triathlon into the global sporting arena.
Since 2012, the Brownlee brothers have won five of Britain’s eight Olympic Triathlon medals. The pair hope that the formation of Brownlee Racing will be instrumental in preserving Britain’s position at the summit of Olympic Triathlon through the identification and nurturing of future racing talent.
Double Olympic medallist Yee was inspired by the Brownlee brothers having watched in Hyde Park their medal-winning heroics at London 2012. And current World Champion Potter has attributed much of her recent success to learnings from training with Alistair and Jonny at their Leeds base.
The Brownlee influence is already at play amongst Britain’s elite and now, through the formation of Brownlee Racing, well placed to benefit future generations.
‘Synonymous with the sport’
Jonny, who missed out on a fourth Games in Paris when Sam Dickinson was given the nod, says he’s hugely excited about the new chapter that the team launch opens: “It was obviously a big disappointment not to qualify for Paris and a fourth consecutive Olympics, but my eyes are now firmly fixed on the future with the launch of Brownlee Racing.
“I really enjoy the shorter format supertri racing and look forward to racing under the Brownlee Racing banner, and adding value where I can in my new player / manager role.
“Unfortunately, I will miss the first supertri events in Boston/Chicago in August as I’ll be getting married, but look forward to making an impact at the rest of the series in London, Toulouse and Neom.”
Michael D’hulst, supertri CEO and Co-Founder, said: “I am delighted to welcome Brownlee Racing to supertri. Jonny and Alaistair are synonymous with triathlon and have already done so much for the global profile of the sport, and their backing of supertri by becoming one of the first team licence owners is a major endorsement of what we are striving to achieve in developing the ‘Future of Triathlon’.
“Their values as athletes and as people will play a key role not only in shaping their team and therefore supertri’s vision, but will also support the growth of the sport they have already helped change forever as together with us they look to inspire more people to love triathlon.”
Supporting the grassroots
Alistair Brownlee, who has most recently been pairing his participation in long distance triathlon races with some gravel racing is intrigued to explore what they can achieve with Brownlee Racing, both within the sport of triathlon and beyond, saying: “We are proud to have been involved with triathlon for the last 25 years and I look forward to the team helping to build a strong British future in the sport.
“But as I’ve been finding out recently, there’s a whole world of endurance racing beyond swim, bike, run and I’m excited about the possibilities for the team’s future.”
The Brownlee Foundation, which is dedicated to inspiring children through sport, will be Brownlee Racing’s charity beneficiary.
Richard Downey, Co-Founder of Blue Carpet Sports Management, the agency he started in partnership with the brothers, sees Brownlee Racing as the next piece of the Brownlee legacy jigsaw, explaining: “Brownlee Racing provides the perfect vehicle for the lads both to continue to compete – for as long as they want to – and to lay foundations for future endurance racing projects.
“The Brownlee Foundation is set up to support the grassroots of triathlon and sport.
Brownlee Fitness supports aspiring age groupers to be the best version of themselves and Brownlee Racing operates at the elite end of sport.
“They’re both going to continue to be very actively involved.”
Triathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
