The 21-year-old Jonathan retained the title he won last year, but this time against one of the strongest fields ever assembled.

Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee both had excellent swims, exiting in the first group before forming a strong breakaway with Gomez and Russia's Alexander Brukhankov on the bike.

Having predicted that a 14min 30sec five kilometres run would be needed in order to win this race, Jonathan delivered a blistering 14:24 run split.

He exchanged the lead with Gomez but took to the front with 300 metres to go and crossed the line as a convincing winner.

"It's the best sprint field ever I think. I'm really pleased," said Brownlee. 

This is the first time that he has won a Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series race, and the first time he has beaten his older brother in a high level race.

But he was quick to play down the win.

"It's a sprint race so it's a different sport really, it's so much faster," said Jonathan.

"I've still not beaten him [Alistair] properly but it's nice to beat him this time."

Alistair claimed bronze, fighting back strongly after a difficult start.

Third place was enough to take him to the top of the world rankings and set up an exciting Grand Final in Beijing next month where the brothers will start as number one and number two in the world.

"I got seriously blocked in with people getting in my way for the first 500m [of the run] and then I ran up to Jonny, but I knew I didn't have the legs to be honest. I thought right, what do I have to do to take that third place and kicked on," said Jonathan.

"I'm pleased for Jonny."

There were no medals for Britain in the women's but Helen Jenkins' fourth place lifted her to top of the world rankings.

Jenkins opened a huge lead over the rest of the top class international field during the swim by taking the pace with British junior, Lucy Hall.

The two British women had a clear lead of 30 seconds on to the 20km hilly bike course, but Hall was unable to stay with Jenkins and set up a breakaway.

Jenkins was reeled in by an aggressive chasing pack of cyclists.

It was then left to Australian, Emma Jackson on her 20th birthday who looked the freshest mid-way through the run. Chile's Barbara Riveros Diaz and New Zealand's Andrea Hewitt also looked strong in the 30 degree heat.

Riveros Diaz took the tape following a sprint against under-23 world champion, Jackson.

Hewitt was third and Jenkins fourth. 

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