Warrior Games Open in U.S.

The second annual Warrior Games presented by Deloitte got underway on Monday (16 May) with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., in the USA.

Over the next five days 220 athletes representing five military branches and Special Operations who have become ill, wounded or injured whilst serving the US Military will compete in a variety of events.

All teams will be competing to win the coveted Chairman’s Cup which will be awarded to the team with the highest number of points based on finishes in each event or team sport.

Also at stake is the Ultimate Champion award, an individual honor decided with a pentathlon style event that pits athletes against each other in five different disciplines: 50m freestyle swim, 10m prone air rifle shooting, 100m sprint, shot put and cycling.

A number of events from the Games will be broadcast live this week via the internet.

On Friday (20 May) the Wheelchair Basketball bronze and gold medal matches will be shown at 10.30CET (18.30 MT) and on Saturday (21 May) the Sitting Volleyball bronze and gold medal matches will be shown at 05.00 CET (13.00 MT)

To watch the live coverage and for further updates on the Games please visit www.usparalympics.org

The Warrior Games Presented by Deloitte is one component of the overall USOC Paralympic Military Programme, which is focused on providing daily physical activity as an important part of rehabilitation at the community and installation levels.

The programme is not about elite performance, rather assisting service members with a physical disability to find enjoyment in activities that are an instrumental part of the rehabilitation process.

Through the programme, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, physical activity and sports participation rates at Warrior Transition Units, Wounded Warrior Battalions/Detachments and other Wounded Warrior programs throughout the U.S. have increased by 23 percent in the past two years.