Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee confirmed on Saturday he will be sidelined for the rest of the year after hip surgery.

Brownlee, who has moved up from triathlon to tackle the Ironman 70.3 series this year, had been left with no choice but to have the procedure after battling with the injury for several years.

Posting on Instagram alongside a picture of himself in the Yorkshire Dales, Brownlee said: “After years of struggling with a chronic hip problem, I go under the knife. It has been a tough decision but suffering from an acute flare I am left with little option.

“Unfortunately it will take me away from competing for the rest of the year but I hope it will enable me to continue doing what I love for many years to come. In the meantime I’ll get to enjoy a bit of Yorkshire relaxation which is a rare treat.”

Brownlee returned to triathlon in June to win the World Series event in Leeds and had earned a place at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship after winning on his debut in Utah in May.

The 29-year-old was a gold medallist at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics Brownlee and brother Jonny were also set to compete in the Super League Triathlon in Jersey in September.