Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown were crowned Super League Triathlon champions after two dramatic final races in Malibu brought the curtain down on the 2021 series.
Yee, who claimed mixed relay gold and individual silver at Tokyo 2020, won another thrilling sprint finish beating Belgian Marten Van Riel by 0.2 seconds which was enough to overhaul Team GB teammate Jonny Brownlee in the overall standings after he came seventh in California.
Brownlee led going into the fourth and final weekend of short-course racing but finished third on the leaderboard with New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde taking second between the two Brits, who along with Taylor-Brown and Jess Learmonth combined in Japan to claim the inaugural mixed relay Olympic title.
“It was amazing, I told Marten he’d got it, and I can’t quite believe it,” said Yee, 23.
“I’ve learnt so much this past month and it’ll help me onwards into the future. It’s so good for our sport to have such short and exciting racing taking place.”
🏆What a year for Alex Yee!! 🏆
— Super League Triathlon (@SuperLeagueTri) September 25, 2021
He takes the Overall Series Win, with Hayden Wilde in 2nd and Jonathan Brownlee in 3rd. #SLTMalibu #IAMSUPERLEAGUE pic.twitter.com/968jO4s2pw
Taylor-Brown, who also claimed individual silver at the Olympics, finished second for the fourth race in succession to take the overall crown by a single point from Learmonth.
Taylor-Brown had finished behind close friend Learmonth in London, Munich and Jersey but this time lost out to Bermuda’s Olympic champion Flora Duffy who made her first start of the series.
Learmonth had a four-point cushion at the top of the table after her hat-trick of wins, but she was forced to settle for second spot in the series after coming home fourth on the day in the US.
“The series victory is bittersweet for me as Jess has been so strong and dominant all series,” said Taylor-Brown, 27.
“It’s hard as we’re such good friends and to be able to race against her, I don’t know, it’s just hard, I’m happy but I wish we could share the title.”
Taylor-Brown has experienced an eventful series despite consistently making the podium, falling from her bike in London before successfully having a disqualification overturned in Jersey.
“I think God keeps testing me to be honest and challenging me,” she said.
“Bad things come in threes and I had three things go wrong in Jersey last weekend. But I think a little bit of luck was on my side today.
“I made a lot of mistakes last weekend, I’ve sorted my head out and I’m back in the game. I’m happy to be able to finish today on a high.
“I think my head just wasn’t in it last weekend, I made so many silly mistakes, I just knew I had to nail everything today. In Super League it’s all the small things, all about transition. If you get a good transition that can make the race for you.”