As the World Triathlon Series gets under way in Auckland this weekend, the former world champion Jonny Brownlee will enjoy the relatively rare experience of being the best in his family on the start line.

However, even as he was preparing for the opportunity that presents itself in New Zealand, a reminder was offered of what has pretty much always been and may well be to come when big brother Alistair - who won the Olympic title in London while Jonny was gamely claiming bronze - denied him victory at the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon short course as they crossed the line arm in arm.

The history of sport is packed with stories of siblings who have simultaneously built their reputations individually and together: England's World Cup- winning Charltons who could hardly have been more different in style and personality; Australia's World Cup-winning Waugh twins whose attitudes and approaches again could hardly have contrasted more; Ukraine's world heavyweight champion Klitschkos, who would batter anyone but one another; here in Scotland the Wimbledon-winning Murrays and the grand slam winning Calder twins, Hastings' and Milnes.

In each case there are fascinating tales of the interaction between them but, partly because of the nature of their attritional sport, surely none has so literally spent most of his greatest days in the shadow of his brother than the younger Brownlee.

Jonny is, by any standards, a quite phenomenal athlete in his own right, winner of umpteen world championship medals as well as that Olympic bronze. Yet picture him in your mind's eye and he will surely be in the slipstream of Alistair or a foot or two lower on a podium and what is all the more remarkable is that if he does not exactly express contentment with the situation he is quite philosophical in his resignation to it.

"It's strange really, because when you go into a race normally you don't know how fit your rivals are, so I can train as hard as I want and then go into the race thinking that guy can't be that fit, whereas I know how fit Alistair is exactly," he explains.

"If he's beating me in training then I know, when it comes to the race, he should really beat me, so it's a weird situation going to races like that."

The tone is matter of fact and remains so as he addresses the question that rattles most top athletes, namely whether there is a mental block to be overcome on his part.

"It's definitely a psychological advantage he [Alistair] had got because, when you've always been beaten by someone, it's upsetting the norm isn't it," says Jonny.

"Whereas with other rivals you don't see them day-in, day-out, you haven't been beaten by them since you were five years old. So definitely you've got to get over that."

That would almost suggest that from his individual perspective there is a case for the family business to be split in different directions.

Yet they are very close and in any case both brothers are acutely aware that there are huge advantages to be had in being able to base themselves in their beloved Yorkshire while having the ideal training partner under the same roof.

Jonny may be destined to play second fiddle to Alistair for most of his career, but on the other hand he also knows that without having that example as his inspiration he may not have achieved what he has, which is already considerable.

The other side of the equation, too, is that no-one will ever have better inside knowledge through which to capitalise when the Olympic champion is not at his best and one of those rare opportunities may loom this year.

In the absence of Alistair, who is seeking to ensure he has fully recovered from a niggling Achilles problem before taking on the full triathlon distance in competition, getting points in the bank in Auckland this weekend is one part of that equation.

They must, after all, contest five of the seven events ahead of the finals in Canada in late summer which will leave Alistair with little room for manoeuvre if, as is always a danger in such a testing sport, further injuries are collected.

However, with the brothers having gone on record as saying they regard the Commonwealth Games as more important this year than the World Championships, it also means he could gain an advantage in terms of preparing for Glasgow.

"Getting the early races in the bank means I can maybe go and do some altitude training ahead of the Games, like we did in 2012 ahead of London, because basically the whole year is based around the Commonwealths," Jonny explains.

This could yet be his year to reach new heights.