Double Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee retires

Double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee has said the time "feels right" to announce his retirement from professional triathlon.

The 36-year-old, who won gold at London 2012 and defended the title at the Rio Olympics four years later, said he felt "dread and excitement in equal measure" at the end of a glittering career spanning 16 years.

"Triathlon has profoundly shaped my life," he said in a post on social media.

"I have dedicated nearly half of it to being a professional athlete, fulfilling my childhood dream and achieving far more than I ever dared to imagine.

"Why now? It feels right. I am happy and content, eager for what lies ahead. I find myself smiling because it happened, rather than crying because it’s over."

Born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Brownlee is the only athlete to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event.

He is also a four-time World Champion, a four-time European Champion and the 2014 Commonwealth champion.

Brownlee is the only male athlete to have completed a grand slam of Olympic, World, and continental championship victories.

Arguably his finest moment came in 2012 when he took gold in his home Olympics, with his brother Jonathan finishing third.

The pair won gold and silver respectively in the same event in Rio de Janeiro four years later.

A specialist triathlon training centre was named in the brothers' honour in Leeds, where they went to university.

World Triathlon called Alistair Brownlee "one of the greatest triathletes of all time".

Brownlee said he was now looking forward to "embracing a slightly slower pace of life, yet not too slow".

"There’s an exciting array of events, challenges, and adventures awaiting me - things I’ve always wanted to have a crack at but haven’t had the chance to pursue.

"For me, sport has always been a personal journey of exploration, and I’m excited to try some new challenges."

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