Jonny Brownlee has confirmed he suffered a broken elbow in the bike crash which saw his race ended early at WTCS Leeds on Saturday.
The local boy spoke this week about how much racing in his home city means to him, providing the proudest moment of his career so far.
Saturday though was a much more painful experience as he and fellow British star Alex Yee were both sent crashing out of the race shortly after T1 as the bike leg got into full and blistering swing.
Eventual race winner Hayden Wilde would later admit immediately after his victory that he was probably to blame for the crash, saying his success was “bitter sweet”.
British Triathlon Performance Director Mike Cavendish had initially said a decision on whether Jonny and Alex would take part in Sunday’s Mixed Relay would likely come in the morning. In Jonny’s case there is now no need to wait that long.
Brownlee on broken elbow
Writing in an Instagram post, Brownlee said: “Ouch 🤕 Not how I thought the weekend was going to go! 😞 Another athlete crashed in front of me and I had nowhere to go. Hit the ground hard and broke my elbow. At least it isn’t a long journey home 🏡 Sorry to let the amazing Leeds crowd down. Thank you for your support once again!”
Brownlee also spoke about the dangers of competing at the elite end of short-course triathlon now, and called for more care from athletes with a view to safety as well as speed.
Jonny’s message on safety
He said: “I know these things happen in sport but the racing is definitely getting more dangerous and it is down to a select few athletes. We need to look after each other better. Back home for some TLC. Hope all the athletes that crashed are okay 👍🏼”
Brownlee’s injury must throw some doubt over his participation in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The men’s individual event is scheduled for July 29 in Birmingham, with the Mixed Relay on July 31.
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