Sept 4 (Reuters) - Three-time Olympic medallist and ⁠six-times world champion Jonny Brownlee announced his retirement from professional triathlon on Friday, ⁠ending one of the most decorated careers in the sport's history.

Brownlee announced his retirement ‌at the Supertri Pro Series final in Jersey, where the 36-year-old is unable to compete in what would have been his final race due to an injury.

The Briton won a bronze and silver medal in the men's triathlon ​at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics before taking gold in ⁠2020 in the inaugural mixed relay.

"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."

The Yorkshire-based athlete was World Triathlon Champion in ⁠2012, standing on ​the podium in every race that season, as well as a two-times World Sprint Champion in 2010 and 2011.

Remarkably, he finished on the podium in each of the 42 races he competed in between July ⁠2010 and May 2014.

Alongside brother Alistair, Brownlee helped turn ​their family name into one of the most recognisable in British endurance sport.

Alistair, a double Olympic triathlon gold medallist and two-time world champion, retired in 2024.

The brothers also combined in 2016 for one ⁠of the sport's iconic moments when Jonny started to stumble close to collapse as he led at the end of a world series race in Mexico.

When Alistair saw his brother in distress he stopped running to help him, virtually pushing him over the line into second place.

Following ​his retirement, Jonny is launching 'Enduro', a punishing new race format that ⁠will have age-group athletes tackle three sprint-distance triathlons across a single event day, with very little ​recovery time between them.

"I'm retiring from professional racing, but I'm ‌not stopping altogether. I'll keep training and competing," ​he added.

"There are races I've always wanted to do, and now I finally can, including more Enduro challenges with Supertri."

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)