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Dazed with heat stroke and struggling even to stand, Jonny Brownlee had to be helped over the line by brother Alistair in Mexico as the World Triathlon Series came to a dramatic close.

Alistair, who pushed Jonny over the line ahead of him in second, said the condition his brother was in was "as close to death as you can be in sport" had he not received immediate medical attention at the finish line.

Jonny went into the final race of the season in Cozumel, Mexico, in second place in the standings behind Spaniard Mario Mola, with Olympic champion Alistair out of contention having missed earlier races.

Rio silver winner Jonny needed to win the race and for Mola to finish no higher than fourth, and that was exactly what looked set to happen after the brothers had again pushed the pace hard on the swim and bike legs.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images) (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

He was leading comfortably heading into the final kilometre of the 10km run but then the heat began to take its toll and he started to weave across the course.

South African Henri Schoeman, who won bronze behind the Brownlees in Rio, overtook Jonny to win the race.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Jonny's second-place step on the podium was left empty while Alistair and Schoeman heard the South African anthem but World Triathlon said his absence was a precaution.

"Following the race [Jonny Brownlee] was in recovery and doing a lot better," they said on Twitter. "But just for safety precautions he was sent to the hospital."

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Jonny stopped at the side of the road but Alistair, who had been running comfortably in third, put his arm around his brother and all but carried him along the final few hundred metres and then pushed him across the line.

By finishing second with Mola in fifth, it was the Spaniard who took the title by just four points.

(Image: PA)

"If he'd conked out before the finish line and there wasn't medical support it could have been really dangerous.

"It was a natural human reaction to my brother but for anyone I would have done the same thing. I think it's as close to death as you can be in sport."

Not that Alistair was all sympathy, with the two-time Olympic champion adding: "I wish the flipping idiot had just paced it right and won the race. He could have jogged the last 2km."

(Image: Twitter/asdeporte)

The was speculation following the race that the result may not stand after assistance received by Jonny, but World Triathlon were quick to make a call in his favour.

"The competition jury has met and agree with the race referees and officially the results will stand as they are," the organisation said on Twitter.