Double Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee has announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 36.

Brownlee won gold at London 2012 before defending his title in Rio four years later.

A world champion in 2009 and 2011, Brownlee is the only triathlete ever to be crowned junior world champion, U23 world champion, European champion and Olympic champion.

“Triathlon has profoundly shaped my life. I have dedicated nearly half of it to being a professional athlete, fulfilling my childhood dream and achieving far more than I ever dared to imagine,” Brownlee wrote on X.

“I look forward to embracing a slightly slower pace of life, yet not too slow.

“There’s an exciting array of events, challenges and adventures awaiting me — things I’ve always wanted to have a crack at but haven’t had the chance to pursue.”

Brownlee captured a legion of fans by winning gold on home soil in London 2012.

His brother Jonny took bronze and the pair have competed against one another on the biggest stages ever since.

Shortly after London 2012, the pair launched the Brownlee Foundation, a charity aiming to inspire children from all backgrounds to take up the sport.

In 2016, Alistair helped his brother over the finish line at the Triathlon World Series event in Mexico when Jonny started to wobble on the home straight.

Jonny, two years younger than Alistair, was leading the race when his legs started to give way in the Mexican heat.

Alistair, who was in third position at the time, propped his brother up for the final 700m and helped him over the line to finish ahead of him in second place.

Earlier that summer, Alistair became the only triathlete in Olympic history to successfully defend his crown by winning gold at Rio 2016.