Search
shop

‘Lights went out’ for Brownlee at Challenge Gran Canaria 2022

Pain for Jonny Brownlee, pleasure for Clement Mignon
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

Jonny Brownlee had a tough day out at Anfi Challenge Mogán Gran Canaria on Saturday, finishing ninth behind Germany’s Mika Noodt.

Brownlee was in contention throughout the swim and bike, but was unable to muster a challenge on the run, and in fact began to fall down the pecking order – much to the triple Olympian’s confusion:

“I am not sure what I have learned today,” hypothesised Brownlee after the race.

“I’m honestly a bit confused at the moment because I trained really well, did some long sessions, I felt brilliant, but today I got to about three hours and the lights just went out.

“I went from racing to surviving – I don’t know if I didn’t drink enough, I don’t know if I’ve got a bug or something, you never quite know.

“I went from feeling okay, feeling I could be part of the race to I’m not sure I’m going to finish this.”

Challenge Mogan-Gran Canaria 2022 - Jonathan Brownlee run

Brownlee exited the water in the lead group with Noodt and Andrea Salvisberg, and maintained his position throughout the hilly 90km bike course.

“The swim was relatively comfortable coming from an ITU background, and then the first lap of the bike was pretty on, a bit hard, I began to settle down and I felt good and then the last 10k of the bike I started to struggle a bit.

“I thought when I get on the run I would come back round, but I really didn’t.

“I had absolutely nothing and I only wanted to finish this race to respect the race and the amazing support here and the hospitality – so I just wanted to finish and that was a struggle.”

Mignon est magnifique

It was a different story for 23-year-old Frenchman Clement Mignon, who enjoyed a first podium of the season.

It could have got even better for the former French international swimmer as he closed the gap on leader Mika Noodt during the first three laps of the run.

But it wasn’t to be for Mignon who had to settle for second place on the podium.

“The race was good for me, it’s my first podium of the season after Lanzarote where I finished fourth and Salou where I finished fifth,” explained the young Frenchman.

“I’m glad of this second place, a lot of guys were very strong, Mika Noodt, Andrea Salvisberg, Jonny Brownlee, and for me its a good thing.

“Mika was so fast at running for me, the last 5km was so hard. After the third loop I was at five metres from Mika Noodt, but he turned it on and sprinted, and I couldn’t match that.

“The bike race was so hard, my legs were broken after the bike and running fast is so hard here because of lots of hills – it’s so hard.”

Challenge Mogan-Gran Canaria 2022 - Clement Mignon run
Stuart Dick
Written by
Stuart Dick
Stuart is a graduate of the University of Sunderland with a masters' degree in Sports Journalism. He spends a lot of his time running and cycling around West Yorkshire, England.
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
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...