By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

September 20 - The Warrior Games, an event set-up to help rehabilitate injured United States military veterans, will return to Colorado Springs next year, it was announced today.


The competition, which is a joint effort between the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Department of Defence, will take place between May 16 and 21 at the US Olympic Training Center.

"In May of 2010, 187 men and women represented American sacrifice and duty at the inaugural Warrior Games in Colorado Springs," said Scott Blackmun, the chief executive of the USOC.

"Those athletes stood as a testament to the true Olympic spirit and the essence of sport, and I look forward to welcoming this magnificent event back to our hometown again next year."

The competition helps elevate abilities through athletic competition for wounded, ill, and injured service members by providing a focal event to empower the incorporation of athletics into military wounded warrior programmes.

The Warrior Games serve as an introduction to Paralympic sports for injured service members by inspiring recovery, physical fitness, and promoting new opportunities for growth and achievement.

"Watching these warriors demonstrate their incredible athletic abilities is an example to our nation of their resilience and their ability to continue to succeed," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

"We are very proud of every single one of them."

The inaugural Warrior Games took place in May 2010 in Colorado Springs with 187 competitors.

More than 200 wounded, ill, and injured servicemen and women are expected to compete in seven sports in 2011.

All eligible athletes will be drawn proportionately from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard based on their disability.

"The Warrior Games are about what these wounded warriors can accomplish" said Sloan Gibson, the President of the United Service Organisations (USO),a private, nonprofit group that provides morale and recreational services to members of the US military.

"The word 'can't' doesn't exist at the Games."

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