Jonny Brownlee has withdrawn from this month’s San Diego triathlon with an ankle injury.

Brownlee, the reigning world champion and a bronze medal winner at London 2012, won in the California city last year.

His brother Alistair, the Olympic champion, will still race as he looks to kick off the season in winning style.

“Not being on the San Diego start line will be very tough,” said Bingley Harriers star Brownlee.

“I haven’t started training properly so I don’t know when I’m going to start racing.

“It’s been a combination of a few injuries but the first major one was when I tore a tendon in my ankle.

“I raced the Yorkshire Cross-Country Championships and it was on a really rough course.

“I turned up and there were a load of little kids who had stayed to watch me run and thought ‘I can’t not do it’. To this day I wish I hadn’t run that race.”

To qualify for the Grand Final in London in September, hopefuls must compete in four of the seven World Triathlon Series events and Brownlee still hopes to be on track for that.

“I can afford to miss San Diego and give myself more time,” he said.

“I am considering going to Yokohama next month to get my season under way there. I’ve not raced the World Series there before, so that will be something to look forward to.

“And of course my focus is on getting to the Grand Final in London in the best shape that I can.”