Search
shop

Olympic gold medallists Brownlee and Spirig set for Challenge Gran Canaria

Midas touch? Jonathan Brownlee and Nicola Spirig to bring Olympic sparkle to April race
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Triple Olympic medallist, Jonny Brownlee, will seek his first middle distance victory next month when he races at Anfi Challenge Mogán-Gran Canaria on 23 April.

The early Pro entries revealed today, also confirm that we should see the racing return of Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig, following her broken collarbone and ribs in a training accident in early February.

Advertisement

A Brownlee double?

The race is no stranger to the Brownlee name, as older brother Alistair made his middle distance debut a winning one there in 2017. The constantly rolling terrain of the coastal bike course would seemingly play to the strengths of an athlete who has spent the last 15 years training on the punchy hills of Yorkshire.

It’s not the first time Jonny has taken on the distance. He did race at IRONMAN 70.3 Cascais, Portugal in October 2021. In a great position late on in the run, he faded over the closing kilometres to finish fifth.

With Jan Frodeno having won the 2021 edition, Jonny could become the third Olympic Gold medallist to take victory at the event.

Spirig set for title defence

While Jonny will have to call on second hand information from Alistair in preparations, London 2012 Olympic Gold medallist, Nicola Spirig, will immediately feel at home.

She raced and won – by well over five minutes – 12 months ago, exiting the swim with Spain’s Sara Pérez Sala and then taking total control of the race for the next three and a half hours. With the planned Sub7Sub8 project coming up in early June, this will be a key measure to see her progress since that early season accident.

Nicola Spirig
Photo Credit: Jose Luis Hourcade

Pérez Sala will be back, along with the British duo of Lucy Buckingham and India Lee. Buckingham put together an impressive series of performances during 2021, while we will get a first guide on how India’s winter training has gone this week, as she will be racing at Challenge Salou.

We will of course provide an in-depth preview of the race and the full Pro field during race week.

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Julie Derron wins T100 San Francisco 2025
Olympic medallist and T100 winner reveals she’s stepping up to full distance next
Sam Laidlow Challenge Roth press conference 2025
Challenge Roth 2025: Laidlow prompts groundbreaking move as Race Ranger data will be made public
Kat Matthews IRONMAN Texas Finish Line 2025
Kat Matthews and Magnus Ditlev top 70.3 Swansea fields as IRONMAN Pro Series heads to Wales
Kristian Blummenfelt Kristian Hogenhaug Casper Stornes IRONMAN Frankfurt 2025
Triathlon GOAT Mark Allen sends “great champions” message to red-hot superstar Kristian Blummenfelt
Zachary Josie bike
Age-group athlete with dwarfism says INCREDIBLE goal is “in his grasp” at Challenge Roth
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...