Brownlee brothers Alistair and Jonny ‘will help each other from start of triathlon’

Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have said they will be “brothers from the start line” when they go for triathlon gold.

The siblings will tomorrow attempt to repeat their Olympic success at London 2012, when Alistair, 28, took the gold and Jonny, 26, won bronze.

They no longer live in the same house, but are still near each other and train together. Jonny said: “We’re brothers the whole way through. In training we both appreciate how big an advantage it is. Normally if you’re so close to someone in ability you don’t train together because you have falling-outs or you’re not that close, but we’re very lucky to have that.

“And then in competition itself, we’re brothers from the start line. During the swimming and on the bike we can help each other tactically and when it gets to the run there’s not an awful lot you can do. But I look out for Alistair and if I want anyone to beat me, it’s definitely Alistair.”

Alistair, who was awarded an MBE in 2013, said: “I look at it really that you want to beat the rest of the field first, and then try and beat Jonny.”

But he added the two were still very “competitive in everything we do. We started racing around the garden when we were very young… I’ve always wanted to beat him though. I never hold back — maybe at times it might spur me on more.”

Jonny added: “I’ve done the whole younger brother thing following him. Hopefully I’ll stop following him now though and get in front.”