FORMER world triathlon champion and Olympic medallist Jonny Brownlee has announced his retirement from professional racing.

The 36-year-old, younger brother of double Olympic champion Alistair, took bronze at London 2012 and then silver from Rio 2016 before securing gold as part of Britain’s mixed relay team at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games.

Brownlee, a six‑time world champion, recently became a father and he revealed he decided against one last event at the Supertri Pro Series finale in Jersey.

He told The Yorkshire Post: “My body has said no. I have asked a lot of my body over the years and it has very rarely let me down, so it is allowed to do that.

“It is not a process where you wake up one morning and think ‘that’s it.’ It is very much… the last year-and-a-half, weaning off being a professional athlete — taking training less seriously, missing sessions whether that is for my son Freddie or for other reasons, prioritising other things.

“I gave 100 per cent to this sport and I am not prepared to do that anymore. I don’t want to make that sacrifice. Injuries have told me I can’t train at the level I was at and I don’t want to do it half-heartedly.”

However, he added: “I’m retiring from professional racing but I’m not stopping altogether. I’ll keep training and competing — there are races I’ve always wanted to do and now I finally can.”