Alistair Brownlee receives OBE for services to triathlon and charity

The only triathlete to win two individual Olympic gold medals and a two-time World Champion, Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee received a further honour this week, with the award of an OBE from HRH Prince William.

The full title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was awarded for his achievements both as an athlete and in his charity work with the Brownlee Foundation. It is the second-highest accolade in Britain behind a knighthood, and underscores the impact that the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Champion has had on and off the blue carpet.

"Some days you just have to stop and take it in. Yesterday was one of them," Brownlee revealed on social media. "Collecting my OBE was a really special day, made even better when William told me he'd actually done a triathlon once."

"When I first started doing triathlon, literally everyone would ask me what it was, and whether it involved a horse. It's come a long way since then. It was extra special because it's for charity as well, and for the work we've done with the Brownlee Foundation. That means a huge amount to me."