World Triathlon Series video: ‘I wish the flipping idiot had just paced it right and won!’ – Alistair Brownlee after helping brother Jonny at the finish

A dazed Jonny Brownlee was denied a second world title despite being helped over the line by his brother Alistair in a dramatic end to the World Triathlon Series.

Jonny went into the final race of the season in Cozumel, Mexico in second place in the standings behind Spaniard Mario Mola, with Olympic champion Alistair out of contention having missed earlier races.

Jonny needed to win the race and Mola finish no higher than fourth, and that was exactly what looked set to happen after the brothers had again pushed the pace hard on the swim and bike legs.

Jonny was leading comfortably heading into the final kilometre of the 10km run but then the heat began to take its toll and he started to weave across the course.

South African Henri Schoeman, who won bronze behind the Brownlees in Rio, overtook Jonny to win the race.

Jonny stopped at the side of the road but Alistair, who had been running comfortably in third, put his arm around his brother and all but carried him along the final few hundred metres and then pushed him across the line - see below…

Alistair, who suffered a similar fate in a race at Hyde Park in 2010, said: "If it happened to anyone I would have helped them across the line because it is an awful position to be in.

"Obviously it was a natural human reaction to help my brother but to be honest I would have saved anyone. It's dangerous for someone to conk out (close to) the finish line. It's as close to death as you can be in sport I think."

Not that Alistair was all sympathy, with the two-time Olympic champion adding: "I wish the flipping idiot had just paced it right and won the race. He could have jogged the last two kilometres."