We Noticed: Jonny Brownlee and Sam Appleton Call it a Career, Supertri Pro Series Final and More

Three-time Olympic medalist Jonathan Brownlee announced his retirement from professional triathlon earlier today, ahead of what was supposed to be his final pro race on the weekend. the Supertri Pro Series Final. (More on that shortly.) Brownlee, along with older brother Alistair, got to the podium at the London Olympics, dealing with all the pressure and enduring years of being in the spotlight to thrill their home country with gold and bronze medals. Jonny would go on to take silver behind his big brother four years later in Rio, then complete his Olympic medal collection with gold in the Mixed Relay in Tokyo. Brownlee won the world title in 2012, won the world sprint title in 2010 and 2011, was the U23 world champ in 2010 and took a number of Mixed Relay world titles, along with the Commonwealth Games Mixed Relay gold in 2014. As a sign of his dominance at his peak, the younger Brownlee finished on the podium at all 42 races he competed in from July, 2010 to May, 2014.

The brothers are also behind the Brownlee Foundation, which they started in 2014 and has allowed more than 100,000 children to participate in the sport.

In today’s announcement Brownlee announced that he’ll be getting more involved with Supertri, and will be “fronting” the new Enduro race format that will be opening up to age-group athletes. The new format will allow age-group competitors to complete three rounds of swim-bike-run in a single event day, just as we’ve seen the pros do over the years. The word is that some Supertri events will feature unique “challenge” formats similar to Brownlee’s 10 sprint triathlons in a single weekend, which he completed at the Supertri Blenheim Palace race.

“I’m not sure you are ever truly ready to retire from professional racing, but after an incredible journey, that’s where I find myself today,” Brownlee said. “My body is telling me I cannot have the fairytale ending, but it’s been pretty close to a dream career, one I never thought was possible when I woke up in the middle of the night to watch the Sydney Olympics aged 10. Back then the Olympic rings felt so far away, never mind three Olympic medals … I also have to mention Alistair. He was the one who paved the way and made me believe my dreams were achievable. We did so much together, and he inspired me every single day.”

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Speaking of Retirements …

Australian pro Sam Appleton has also announced his retirement at the end of the year. The popular pro was for many years an IRONMAN 70.3 specialist, amassing 20 wins during his career. He made his full-distance debut at IRONMAN Western Australia in 2019, and came back to win that race in 2024. He was a regular top-10 finisher at the IRONMAN 70.3 worlds, taking fourth there in 2017 (the year the race took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee.)

Here’s what Appleton had to say in an Instagram post a few days ago announcing the news:

After more than 20 years of racing triathlon, I’ll be hanging up the tools at the end of 2026.

I did my first triathlon when I was 13 years old, and from that moment, triathlon became so much more than a sport to me, it became my life, my identity, and the thing I wanted to give everything to.

I don’t think I can fully express in this post what triathlon has meant to me over the past two decades. It has given me more than I ever could have imagined. The opportunity to travel the world, test myself in ways I never thought possible, create lifelong friendships, and share unforgettable moments with so many incredible people.

To the fans, supporters, sponsors, coaches, teammates, friends, family, and everyone behind the scenes who allowed me to chase this crazy dream for so long, thank you. What a gift it was having you all in my corner. 

From racing as a 13-year-old junior for TriNSW to competing in some of the most competitive races in the world, I have achieved far more than I ever thought possible in this sport. At the heart of it all, I simply wanted to explore the limits of my potential. Winning was special, of course, but so was the process of pushing my body, riding the ups and downs, and lining up alongside competitors who brought out the best in me.

The past few months have had me reflecting more deeply on my time as an athlete. When you’re in the thick of a career, it can be hard to see the forest through the trees. There is always more training, another race, another goal. Sometimes, in chasing what is next, you forget to pause and appreciate how far you have come.

The other day, I pulled an old memorabilia box out of the garage. For the first time in my career, I started putting some of my trophies on display. It was a small thing, but it made me realise how far I have come in this journey. 

Retiring from professional racing doesn’t mean triathlon will ever stop being part of who I am. It has shaped me in ways I will carry for the rest of my life. But I feel my life moving in different directions now, and I’m genuinely excited to pursue the paths ahead.

Today Appleton announced that his final race will be the Patagonman event in Chile in December.

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Supertri Pro Series Final

With a huge US$800,000 prize purse and $100,000 going to the men’s and women’s winners, Sunday’s Supertri Pro Series Final promises to be a lot of fun. Highlighting the men’s field will be the showdown between Paris Olympic gold and silver medalists, Alex Yee (GBR) and Hayden Wilde (NZL) and reigning world champion Matt Hauser, while the women’s race sees Cassandre Beaugrand (FRA) arrive as the clear favourite.

While Yee and Wilde haven’t been as sharp on the draft-legal front this year, the Enduro format might just play into their hands – the race includes three swim-bike-run stages of 300m/ 4km/ 1.6km, with a short break in between and a 90-second elimination rule. Hauser was on another impressive tear on the WTCS front this year, but has been slowed by a couple of crashes, most recently at the race in Weihei that saw him finish 10th. Another Aussie to keep an eye on will be Luke Willian.

Now that Beaugrand appears to have got her swimming back in order after her impressive move to the track world earlier in the season, all eyes will be on her on Sunday, but she’ll have to be on her game. Brit Georgia Taylor-Brown is a three-time Supertri champ (2021, 2022 and 2024) and excels in this format, as does reigning Supertri champ Jeanne Lehair (LUX). Add to that mix the woman who, in her Supertri debut, beat Beaugrand at Supertri Toronto, Jolien Vermeylen.

This is the strongest field we’ve ever assembled for the Supertri Pro Series Final,” said Supertri co-founder and CEO Michael D’Hulst. “From Olympic and world champions to the athletes who fought their way here through Austin, Blenheim Palace and Toronto, every single name on this start list has earned their place — and that’s exactly what this format is about. Jersey is where Supertri really began, and there’s nowhere better to crown the champions in this milestone season, with the richest single-day prize purse in triathlon this year on the line.”

The racing will be streamed live, with the women starting at 9:10 am EST and the men heading off at aproximately 10:20 am EST. You can watch the livestream on Supertri’s Youtube channel.

Here are the final start lists for Sunday’s races:

THE COMPLETE START LIST

Women

Men

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