Alex Yee was 14 when the Brownlee brothers first graced the Olympic podium at London 2012. By the time they finished one-two in Rio, four years later, he hadn't even started university.
Now, he could be the man to prevent older Brownlee brother Alistair even making it on to the plane to the Tokyo Games.
Yee, 23, trained in Leeds with the Brownlees for three years before switching to Loughborough in 2020.
He will be in Yokohama this weekend for the opening round of the 2021 World Triathlon Series alongside Jonny Brownlee and Tom Bishop, aiming to enhance his credentials for Team GB this summer.
Alistair is missing the event through injury and with currently only one spot available alongside Jonny in the Olympic squad, Yee is the second best-placed Briton in the standings.
"When I first joined Leeds, I was almost in awe of them," Yee told BBC Sport.
"Gradually as things progressed I realised they're only human, but incredible and they have achieved so much."
Double Olympic and world champion Alistair is Great Britain's most successful triathlete, with younger sibling Jonny adding Olympic silver and bronze to his 2012 world title.
Having switched focus to the Ironman distance after the Rio Olympics, Alistair is still in contention for Team GB later this year, and intends to use his only remaining Olympic-distance race in Leeds to put himself in the frame for a fourth Games.
"It's still surreal that I'm in the same conversations as Alistair and Jonny," said Yee, who finished second on his World Triathlon Series debut in Abu Dhabi in 2019.
"They're two of the greatest athletes ever to do triathlon. That's pretty surreal to be competitive with them. That gives me confidence that if I do get selected, there's a real opportunity."
He added: "There's so much unknown with regards to the Olympics and what it'll take.
"Delivery of my best races will give me the best opportunity. That's what I'll focus on."
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