By Nick Butler

London 2012 triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee has abandoned his plan to also compete over 10,000m at Glasgow 2014 ©Getty ImagesLondon 2012 champion Alistair Brownlee has abandoned a triple gold medal bid at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer and will focus only on triathlon events instead of also targeting the 10,000 metres on the track.


Brownlee, also the 2009 and 2011 triathlon world champion after earlier victories at junior and under-23 level, had planned to compete on the track in Glasgow in a bid to give himself new sporting goals and challenges in sport. 

This came after he ran a 10 kilometres split en route to winning gold at London 2012 in a swift 29min 07sec, before he clocked 28:32.48 on his track debut in San Diego last year. 

The 26-year-old had entered for next week's Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m PBs in London, where he was hoping to run England's "B" Qualifying Standard of 28:20 for Glasgow 2014.

But after struggling with injuries in recent years and that has made him accept his initial plans were overly ambitious, and he will no longer compete.

"I had intended originally to aim for the 10,000m on the track in Glasgow but that's off for me now," he told Metro.

"I really wanted to do the qualifying race in London next weekend but the timescale just doesn't work for me.

"It has made me realise that the focus, for now anyway, has to be triathlon."

Alistair Brownlee will focus on triathlon at Glasgow 2014 and on his rivalry with fellow London 2012 medallists Javier Gomez and brother Jonny ©AFP/Getty ImagesAlistair Brownlee will focus on triathlon at Glasgow 2014 and on his rivalry with fellow London 2012 medallists Javier Gomez and brother Jonny ©AFP/Getty Images



Brownlee will compete in the individual triathlon event in Glasgow on July 24, as well as a mixed relay two days later where an English squad also consisting of Olympic bronze medal winning brother Jonny and the current International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championship female series leader Jodie Stimpson, will be gold medal favourites.

It will be mark the sports return to the Commonwealth Games programme after the sport featured at Manchester 2002 and Turin 2006 before not appearing at Delhi 2010.

But, after his Achilles injury forced him to miss the first two ITU events of the 2014 season in Auckland and Cape Town, Brownlee also outlined his priority to win back the world title, and that will mean unseating the reigning champion and 2014 series leader Javier Gomez of Spain. 

"I've had a very mixed last six months and I don't want to jeopardise my comeback as I look to regain the World Championship crown," he said.

"This time I'm aware of the need to not rush back, I have to know when I'm ready to race to the best of my ability again, I can't risk anything if I'm not sure.

"I've my ups and downs, some really good training, but also some mishaps.

"I pulled my calf a couple of times, I got sick and also cut my knee.

"I'm under no illusions as to how difficult it will be this season with Javier Gómez in the sort of form he's in, having won the opening two races."

Brownlee plans to make his comeback at the next round of the ITU Series in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday May 17.

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July 2013: Brownlee and Stimpson complete British double at Triathlon World Series event in Kitzbühel
April 2013: Brownlee strolls to success in San Diego as Gomez fails to make impact