his dominance and consistency this year in my mind are unparalleled. For him to do this on the ITU circuit, is very special, as the competitiveness of the races and calibre of athletes is about the highest it has ever been. He is legitimate in all three sports, and won races from a number of different scenarios. He even messed up T2 today and still did amazingly.
But I know most of you won’t be impressed until he does Hawaii. Too bad, because what he did this year was just incredible.
I love ITU racing and think Brownlee had a perfect season, but we’ll have to wait a few more years before passing out lifetime achievement awards.
That being said… just… DAMN that kid is fast.
The London ITU event was broadcast live, complete, on the BBC.
Brownlee was nothing short of phenomenal. He was in the breakaway group of about 8 riders all the way, pulling on the front, until they were eventually reeled in just befor the end of the bike leg. I was getting a bit worried for him as he seemed to have mashed himself.
Then, on the run, he just strolled away from the rest of them. He looked like a proper runner, and made the others look ungainly.
Plus he looks about 11 years old.
BTW I was looking forward to seeing big Matty Reed show well in that event but he seemed to be having an off day, didn’t really figure.
But I know most of you won’t be impressed until he does Hawaii.
lol, you beat me to it :)
ｗｈｉｃｈ ｉｓ ｗｈｙ I wrote “could” and not “Is”.
There’s another young male brit who’ll push the bike in Hawaii…
Don’t think he’ll keep it on the run though.
SteveMc
I think he’s the first of a new generation of triathletes…there will be more like him. His season has been amazing.
Let’s not be too quick to pile on the superlatives, though. Simon W has still won more races than Brownlee has even toed the line on.
Phenomenal year, no doubt. I bet no one repeats his undefeated season. The kid should have a stellar career if he avoids injury.
His undefeated season where Gomez beat him at the European Champs do you mean?
No, I meant the Dextro Energy series.
Philip Graves, he won both Half and Full Ironman distance this year in the UK. Should be interesting seeing how he does in Hawaii.
Interesting how quickly you forget Gomez, Snowsill, and Fernandes. Especially the latter two. Even after several seasons of dominance, it’s not clear that what they are doing is sustainable. Gomez seems to have returned to form, unfortunately it has coincided with everyone else raising their level. But Snowsill is injured, and Fernandes - who had previously won **10% **of all world cups EVER - didn’t even finish a race this year. Six, eight, ten years from now we can figure if Brownlee is the best ever or even just the next Hamish Carter, Whitfield, etc. But not until then. I certainly think he could be. But I also think that there have been athletes like this in every sport, where they make an enormous impact, and then they sort of disappear or change tact. But whether or not this is the first of many seasons like this or simply a never-to-be-seen again sort of year, it’s been exciting to watch.
Interesting aside - look at Terenzo, who won FOUR world titles as a Junior. Everyone thought he would dominate the ITU. He had some fantastic results very early, but then missed the Olympic team (and there was some drama around that), and now it looks like he’ll never do another ITU race (though I wonder when 2012 approaches…). So it’s not even just things like injury that change the game. It could be any number of things.
not to mention they are forgetting a ton of others who have very impressive ITU creds. Gaag, Bevan, Lessing, Jones, Smyers, Stewart, carney, gallegher (sp), robo, lindley et al.
I think you can assume Mess was talking about men…
But you have to at least give his year a shot at best ever. Best talent level ever, biggest prize purses ever, and total domination by Brownlee. 29:04 is so fast.
Until you get a crop of Kenyans training for triathlon seriously, I’m going to hold my reservation on Brownlee being the best ever.
It’s not uncommon for Kenyan up n coming runners to have run 15:xx 5ks with NO training in their teenage years, before going well below that in racing.
Teach those guys to swim & bike, and I think triathlon will see a new standard of PRs.
True, which is why I wrote “could” and not Brownlee “is” the best ever.
Gomez did have a couple of great seasons the last two years, but he did lose races (big races, like worlds in '07, Olympics in '08). Now I know there was no Olympics this year, but Brownlee did win the series in dominant fashion, including the grand finale. Gomez is another athlete with the whole package, amazing swimmer, very strong cyclist, and dominant runner. And Brownlee beat him in every imaginable way this year.
Fernandes had some very dominant years, but due to the fact that some world cups she was winning by minutes (same as Snowsill), I have to question the level of competition (sorry ladies, but you need to get deeper fields, I’ve seen many world cups with 20-30 women). I still have to admit she was legit though, our mouths all hit the floor when she came out of the water about 3rd at Mooloolaba in 2007, so she can swim as well.
Do you really want to mention Gaag??? And to compare the ITU of the 90s with today is very unfair, it is sooooo much more competitive today.
I just think if you could have gone back to last year, looked at this “super series”, you never, NEVER would have predicted Brownlee winning every race he did.
Congrats on the wedding Keundig, why won’t you return my emails???
The reason I mentioned Gaag, is that he has won at least 1 ITU race and placed top 3 at least 1x more every year for the last 8-10 years, some of those years include multiple wins and multiple placings. Even snagged a World Champion title.
Rumors are there shadowing his career, but rumors are rumors.
Look at his record. He has more ITU wins then all american men combined have podiums.
Teach those guys to swim & bike, and I think triathlon will see a new standard of PRs.
Yeah, that project worked out really well the last time they tried it… And yes, it’s already been tried.
Where? I haven’t heard of it.
Then, on the run, he just strolled away from the rest of them. He looked like a proper runner, and made the others look ungainly.
the lad’s a Bingley Harrier - of course he looks like a proper runner!