Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee’s hopes of regaining his world triathlon title have been bitten by an ankle injury that has forced him to pull out of the World Series race in Madrid this weekend.

The 25-year-old Bingley Harriers member, world champion in 2009 and 2011, has only competed in one race this season, winning in San Diego.

That puts Brownlee joint 11th in the standings with his brother Jonny, the winner in Yokohama earlier this month, and more than 1,000 points behind leader Joao Silva.

Alistair is no stranger to injuries and last year feared he might not make the Olympics because of an Achilles tear, although he recovered in time and went on to win gold.

He had been injury free this year and it was Jonny who struggled through the winter with an ankle problem that he initially feared would put him out for the season.

Jonny will be competing in Madrid, a race he won last season on his way to his first world title, but Alistair’s injury is not serious and he should be fit for the next race in Kitzbuhel at the start of July.

The series then continues in Hamburg and Stockholm before the Grand Final over the Olympic course in London’s Hyde Park in September.