ALISTAIR Brownlee has suffered an injury blow on the eve of the new triathlon season.

The Olympic champion was due to begin his 2015 campaign at this weekend's World Triathlon Series opener in Abu Dhabi but has not made the trip after turning his ankle.

The Bingley Harrier has picked up a succession of injuries since his breakthrough season in 2009 and this latest setback, although not a serious one, will be frustrating, given he had enjoyed a trouble-free winter of training.

Brownlee's brother Jonny, the Olympic bronze medallist, will compete in Abu Dhabi and he said: "It's a shame for Alistair that he's not racing. But it's a big year for us all with Olympic qualification and it's still very early in the year at the moment."

Alistair is also likely to sit out the second race in Auckland at the end of the month but, with an expanded series offering ten races, time is on his side.

The 26-year-old has not won the world title since 2011, seeing his great rival Javier Gomez of Spain clinch it in both 2013 and 2014, and had made winning a third crown of his own a priority.

Speaking last month, Alistair said: "It was such a shame not to be able to have a really good crack at the world series last year. That could have made it a perfect season.

''I'd really like to be able to compete for the world title this year and hopefully that will be the case. It's been a long time, so hopefully I can change that."

The number one goal for both Alistair and Jonny this season will be booking their places at the Olympics in Rio.

To achieve that, the pair must finish in the top three at both the Rio test event in August and the world series grand final in Chicago the following month.

Commonwealth Games champion Jodie Stimpson heads the British challenge in the women's race in Abu Dhabi, with Lucy Hall, Emma Pallant, Heather Sellars, Gordon Benson, Adam Bowden and Mark Buckingham also competing.