Brownlee brother self-isolates after fleeing US training camp

British triathlete superstar Alistair Brownlee is reported to be self-isolating after hurriedly returning home from a training camp in America.

He and brother Jonny had been training together in New Mexico, when they heard of Home Secretary Dominic Raab’s call for all UK citizens who were abroad at the time to “come home now while [they] still can”.

Jonny was, according to Mirror.co.uk, “inside the Olympic bubble, chasing his dream in water and on land as he had before of winning gold in London and Rio”.

They had felt in relative safety there at the time – especially because, as recently as the start of this week, it was still expected that the International Olympic Committee was not set to make any decision on whether the Games would go ahead for another month.

But that all changed last Tuesday.

“When we heard it was off, coupled with the Foreign Office advice to get home quick, we scrambled,” he added.

There was some stress at the need to get a flight at such short notice – but, back at home, Jonny says he is sure the IOC has made the right call: “Another month would have made things a hell of a lot worse,” he said.

“People would be taking risks with their health to train and increasing the likelihood of being exposed to the virus.”

So now, Jonny, 31, who competed in Italy at the start of March, is in self-isolation at home, reflecting on the scale of events, and where triathlon – and indeed all sport – fits into the bigger picture.

“The Olympics is a massive event but this is a time not to focus on sport too much , [instead] to be what’s best for everyone,” he said.