Day 1 Invictus Games

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, two years and two days since the

closing ceremony of the Paralympic games and now a living and breathing

part of east London. The embers of 2012 glory still glow. Over the next

few days the very first Invictus games will relight the fire. The

endeavours of some remarkable men and women. I've been a Royal Marine

commando and it's the greatest thing in the world. I convinced all my

family that the job I'm doing is probably the safest job in the

battlefield. I loved it. Yeah, I loved it.

One in eight were getting killed or injured. But actually you still look

at it and go, there is a 7 in eight chance I will be all right. I will

take those odds. Bang, that was it. I thought, that's it they've got me.

I'm a gone. For thousands of service men and women injury or illness is

not the end of their story. It's the start of a new chapter in their

lives and for many of them sport has been key to their rehabilitation.

This week more than 400 military athletes from around the world will

compete in the first Invictus Games. Everyone of them has been through a

life changing event and overcome extraordinary opts. I was blown up

by an IED. Severely injured my left arm and left leg. My right leg was

blown apart. Left frontal lobe brain damage. I lost both legs above the

knee. The bullet went in here and out here. I damaged my whole I eye

socket. The idea came from Colorado Springs. The power of sport and

rehabilitation is outstanding. The games has really hit her at home to

me. I spoke to some of these guys -- really hit it home to me. It was

like a clean slate. I thought, you know what, a multisport

international event for these men and women is exactly what they need.

When you are injured and you have to learn how to put your socks on,

learning to cook food again, these are not things you chose to do. They

have been forced upon you. Whereas cycling was something I chose to do.

I rediscovered the chemical goodness of doing exercise, and the great

stuff it releases around you, but also the great excitement and drive

it gives you when you do it to a standard where you could compete.

You have a reason to push yourself again. It is a fire that has been

really it in my life. -- has been lit again in my life. Personally,

the psychological side was the harder one for me. Injuries that

people can't see our sometimes worse. The early days were pretty

bad. You end up going down a spiral. The depression is dark and quite

dangerous. Not good. You try to not make a big deal out of it when

really it's tearing you up inside. Sport really played a massive part

in getting me out of that rut and breaking the cycle and bringing me

back up the spiral. I was not fully aware there was a huge part of me

still missing, and that huge part was the part that the Marines gave

me. It's the extraordinary experience you have with the people

you share it with, that makes you sort of invincible to change. This

is massive now. It's gone from a small bunch of guys to nations

competing against each other. The Americans are the ones we want to

beat. There is no such word as can't any more. I think disability proves

that to you. It makes you do it. There's nothing worse than somebody

saying you can't do something. Especially to a Marine, they will

say "OK, watch this". A very good evening to you and

welcome to coverage of the Invictus Games. An event that will take us

through the full range of emotions over the next four days. The scene

was set perfectly yesterday with the opening ceremony on South lawn.

Plenty of military pomp and ceremony and the red arrows flew past as

Harry of Wales looked on proudly with his family. The athletes

completed their parade, and if you missed it yesterday it is on the red

button from 8pm and then on the iPod. -- ie player. At the Lee

Valley athletics venue a service was held to remember those who had been

injured or killed in conflict. Particularly poignant because today

is the 13th anniversary of 9/11. There were representatives from each

of the armed services. A moving moment to sit alongside the

celebration of yesterday. I'm delighted to say joining me in the

studio, two distinguished paralympians. Tanni Grey-Thompson

and Sean Rigg 's. The Invictus Games is taking us back to the beginning

of the Paralympic movement. They were confronted with these war

injured men, mostly, and they had to find a way to rehabilitate them.

There weren't enough bed spaces so they used sport to get them fit and

healthy and integrate them back into life. He wrote earlier about the

shock and surprise of injured men and women still wanting to be

competitive and doing sport. In 1948 there were the first games, 12

countries and 200 people. It feels like we are back there again. Sean,

you are an RAF veteran. How important was sport to your rehab? I

was a physical education instructor in the RAF source port was or was

important. After a skiing list I realised how important sport was. I

wrote a bucket list after my accident and I'm still taking things

off. In the early days it was a real focus, not just what I loved to do

before, but it was therapy, it made me get up in the morning. I had

something to do that day, something to achieve, because I had written it

down and I wanted to make it happen. It is not just about rehab, it is

about medals. The British team will be competitive. It is led by Captain

Dave Henson. We can meet them now, quite a group of guys and girls.

These men and women here have achieved so much already, but by

being selected for this team, it's another significant milestone in

their life beyond injury. The group of people that we have

here are incredible individuals. The team is full of strong competitors

in every single sport. There are too many to name check everyone but

there are definitely some key individuals that I'm personally

looking forward to seeing. Paul Vice will be one to watch for sure. The

aquatics centre is going to make for a fantastic competition. Matt Webb

will be exciting. We have a huge team for cycling. Josh, Steve

Arnold. Of course I want gold, that's what's getting me up in the

morning. Nothing else matters. I can't wait to see Jack on the

cycling track. You will see people pushing themselves to the upper

limits. The team sports will be fantastic to watch. Just get the job

done, yeah. Charlie Walker. I like the aggression. He is a paralympian

for Team GB volleyball. You get to hit people, I love that! Derek

Derenalagi in the field. He's a massive individual. The change I've

seen in the people selected for the team has been incredible. Every

single individual he wants to prove they will not be broken. They don't

give up. They are so used to pushing themselves that they get to a point

where they think they are broken and they get up and they will push

themselves some more. They are all proving that they are not just

recovering, they are smashing targets they set for themselves.

It's so exciting. And these are the nations the

British team will be competing against. Another 12 in total and

they are all countries who have fought alongside each other on the

battlefield and they will now face off on the sporting field. These are

the sports they will be competing in. Athletics day to day and we will

catch up with that shortly. A great introduction to the British

team and the sense of, rather a really comes across. Absolutely. The

team spirit. Sports and the sports team attitude is very similar to

being in the military, that will to win, succeed, overcome and adapt.

All those sorts of things they are doing today. To be there with their

friends, there is that sense of pride of where they come from to

where they have come. And they want to perform for their team, their

team-mates, and the country. They are back doing what they love.

team-mates, and the country. They of them will have come through rehab

together at Headley Court. They will. There is quite a mix between

some freshly injured people from Afghanistan and some older veterans

but they will have all come through at some time or other. These people

tend to go back to these different rehab centres, they are recovery

centres that Help For Heroes have. They are introduced to sport and

they will know each other from all sorts of scenarios and they are now

here competing at high levels. Disability sports, that means

classification is. It is not your classic gasification system. This is

a spoke to the Invictus Games. -- classic classification system. This

is specific to the Invictus Games. What do you make of the

classification system? I think it's sensible they have not used the

International Paralympic Committee classification is. Not everyone

would compete. We have guys on the team who have those international

classifications. I think the IT 61 is the most interesting one. -- the

IT six is the most interesting one. There are couple who might be on the

edge of getting a Paralympic classification. I think across all

the different divisions it has been really well done. Within the

wheelchair racing, having everyone competing together, it is pretty

fair. It means there is good quality competition. First of all we will

focus on IT three, athletes with a limb impairment. And one of the

British athletes going here is JJ Chalmers. I never thought about

joining the Army. I wanted to be a Royal Marine commando. It was that

or nothing else. I did not want to join the air force, I just wanted to

join the Marines. The proudest day of your life when you get given that

green lead. We spent so long getting ready for Afghanistan, six months

training nonstop, and by that stage who wanted to get out there and get

on with it. Our mission was to go into a compound to find out what it

was used for. We were in there, walking around and chatting, doing

what seems so normal in Afghanistan. Then I was lying on my back, staring

at the sky and was in more pain than I've experienced in my life. Our

patrol commander stepped on a pressure plate. That triggered the

IED. This is how this happened. They told us that his legs were badly

wounded. Infection might kill him and he might lose his right arm. He

lost a couple of fingers, he broke his neck, and they did not know how

bad it was. That was the worst day of my life. My face was caved in, I

was hit by something around the size of half a house brick that damaged

all my eye socket, flattened my face. It was like somebody battered

me with rocks. They were all going several hundred miles an hour and in

the space of a split second. I was bludgeoned. That is when I brought

my hand up and looked and all my fingers were hanging off. As a Royal

Marine you do everything for yourself. That is the kind of person

you are and then you have to accept that you are not going to be able to

do this on your own and you will need people to not just do stuff for

you, but to support two. You are digging so deep in yourself you

might get dangerously low on morale. -- but to support you. You

need to start borrowing other people's to get through it.

It is a constant reminder, I did want to forget what happened to me.

I've therefore visible uniform of an injured servicemen for the rest of

my life, that is why I never cover this stuff up, I am more than happy,

I'm not ashamed or embarrassed about this at all. I guess I heard these.

I'm going to do everything that I possibly can and when it comes to

the day, I need to make sure that I grit my teeth and do feel sorry for

myself, for one second, taking part. That can be really special. The

athletic Stadium is still under construction which meant that we

went up the road for the athletics competitions. The line-up, for the

100 metres, JJ charmers, Daniel Crane for the USA is in three. What

an interesting race we have in prospect here. John James, or JJ to

his friends. From head I think he's going to have a tough race because

one or two of the Americans are day to find it pretty tough indeed. He

is a man who very much is hoping to qualify all in red. Charmers is not

making a block start. Away cleanly, charmers, left away, and it is going

to be the Frenchman, who is storming away. It is gold for France, 11.34.

No doubt about the winner. Cracking start. He has not started running,

they are going to have two keep going to chase him. What a race,

from the French runner. The result of that race is a very clear winner.

Alain Aakpo Of France. This is the line-up for the men's 200 metres, JJ

charmers, fifth in the 100 metres has an outside chance -- JJ

Chalmers. From a standing start he is being closed down by the 100

metres gold-medallist, Alain Akakpo, from France. At this stage, JJ

Chalmers is in fourth, down the home straight they come out and powering

away is the very impressive French sprinter Alain Akakpo, and in the

end, JJ Chalmers I think, took fifth or sixth place. It is a sprint 44

Alain . STUDIO: Nice performance from the

French, we have met the British team, here is a familiar face who

can balance the team up a little bit. I would like to extend the

warmest welcome to all competitors taking part in the Invictus Games, I

know how hard you have been working, and the British public and

indeed the world cannot wait to see you compete. The Invictus Games is

an amazing opportunity, to wear a new uniform and compete for our

country against the world. It is proud for us to take part in such an

amazing game among other nations. It is an honour to be not only

representing my country but also representing injured servicemembers

out here. It is an honour to be here and have an opportunity to measure

up against other soldiers. Early in the morning I was getting ready, for

a jog, and I went for a jog and there was a prison break, and I

ended up in a firefight with 15 prisoners, and seven months

afterwards we decided to amputate my lake to be able to continue to

serve. Sport is very important, you are having fun, competing with other

nations, it really adds to your positives. It means that I can meet

a lot of guys who are in the same situation as me, when we see each

other we do not need to explain how injuries. It is a great opportunity

for me to meet other soldiers that are going through the same thing as

me, and I look forward to meeting them.

For me these games will be very emotional and very demanding

competing aced all of these are the superhuman effort. I feel honoured

and proud to be part of these Invictus Games and to be part of the

United States team. It is important for me to see the Afghan wounded

warriors among all nations of the world. Soak it is a real mix of

nations and in terms of their preparation, different armed forces

are in different stages of using it for rehabilitation. Yes you look at

USA, they have had warriors games, and they have had a Paralympic

lobby, in Britain we are very lucky of the support, if you look at the

Afghan team, they are still struggling through maybe getting the

right equipment, sport, coaching, facilities, maybe being here might

be quite an incentive for them. Also one of the things we can do is offer

more help, especially in the sports where the equipment like wheelchair

racing is very important. The thing is, this is not cheap to do and I

guess for a lot of countries the recent losses are an issue? It is,

that is one of the things, no matter what sport you get into, from

competing together, we have competed against other nationalities but I

think what is different, we are seeing, they fought together on the

battlefield and I think that is really important, they will be a

totally different sentiment from what we are used to, to what they

are feeling out there and it will all be about pride, and the respect,

that everyone will have for each one of them out there. It will be so

different to what we are used to. A real legacy to come from the games,

there is one thing that the military know about, it is leadership and

when they chose the captain of the British team, they chose quite well.

As I was getting closer to my deployment date I was much

more excited than nervous, I was trained for the job, ready for the

job, I was very excited. Warfare is a very exciting business until it

all goes wrong. You see it in a Hollywood movie, someone stands on a

mine, they hear the click, and then the camera pans back to their face,

and they realise that they the camera pans back to their face,

a mine and every now and then, one of the guys will jump out of the way

before it goes. In reality, there is no click for me, there is no

warning, no chance to run out of the way, I was walking back, then I was

on the floor and my legs were in pieces. I remember looking down at

them and they were mangled, attached but mangled, you know instantly that

life has changed. His mother and father came around with a couple

of officers delivering the news, I felt so sad for him that he would

not be able to swim and run, I probably cried nonstop, for that

entire 24 hours, but then after that, when he came back, reality

does hit you, but it was in a good way. He is still here, we can still

have a life together. When I saw him in hospital he was just himself, he

had not changed at all, he was just a bit shorter. He has made it easy,

he is just himself and he has got on with life. I get on with life with

him. This is the legroom. I keep all of my bits and pieces. I have got my

day leg, these are the ones that I wear day to day, hydraulically

controlled, microprocessor legs. Then I have got the legs that I am

wearing, my stubbies. They are still not real legs, real legs are all

some. I get frustrated when I see people not using their legs

properly. I still dream as if I have legs, in my dreams I am running

around and jumping and all sorts of stuff. Yes, I am missing them every

single day. I am so lucky to be alive, to look at me with pity all

sorrow for these injuries when the alternative is not to be here at all

is ridiculous. I think that we are blessed as a group of guys, that we

pretty much dead death in the face and we came back from it, we can

look around and see the world with fresh eyes and realise just how

beautiful it is, what is going on. You can look at me with pity all you

want but I feel that I am the lucky one. I think that he would challenge

Richard Gere, for an Officer and a gentleman, it is lovely in real

life. We will see the two metres but first the 100 metres. Featuring

Derek Derenelagi. And they are underway, Philip Roberts of France,

he has got a decisive advantage in the early stages. Representing

Britain in the discus in the Paralympics, is in second place, but

this is about Robert of France and he punches the air and he wins

comfortably in a time of 16.65. With Derek Derenelagi in second place for

Britain. He sat out the Hundred to make sure that he got it right for

the 200 metres. All eyes were on Captain Dave Henson for this one.

The starters, three British athletes in this. On the inside of lane two.

Derek Derenelagi in five, and David Henson in lane seven. Up against

them, is the man who won the 100 metres in this category, Philip

Robert. He is one lane outside of this man, the team captain, David

Henson. Look at David Henson, he has had a very, very good bend. He is

stretching away from the field. In the lead up to these Invictus Games,

he has been having problems with those prospective limbs. Smooth as

you like, that is a great win. David Hanson will compete in the

same classification as Phillip Whitehead. He has a lovely movement,

driving towards the line. That's a fast time for somebody at this level

of competition. As captain of the team there is some pressure for you

to deliver but what a performance. Yeah, my coach, Rob Roger Keller

taught me well. We have seen you on the documentary in the build-up to

this. You have been one of the faces of the Invictus Games but now you

are here and part of it, describe your emotions today? Tears,

ecstatic, nervous, tears. But it's over and I'm happy. Now you have the

gold medal to celebrate. Yeah, very proud. Congratulations.

Well done also to Derek Derenalagi. Tee gold medals for him. A lot of

pressure and ultimately relief for Dave Henson. There is the pressure

when everybody knows who you are and you are the captain and you want to

guide people through. He wanted to do well. In terms of his running

style, he's very young in his sprinting career. It is different to

how he would run when he had legs. I think there's more to come from

him. Looking at the smile on his face, he is experiencing the relief

as well because he was under pressure. There was only one person

who was going to give him a medal given how prominent he has been in

the build-up to these Invictus Games. He came up to these games

with a need to deliver. We have seen his back story along with a lot of

other athletes out there. There was pressure on him but he had the

focus, he wanted to perform. Seeing the rest of his mates doing well

today must have spurred him on so much. We saw the documentary on

Sunday and he has had problems with his prosthetic six-pack thing. --

his prosthetics snapping. You are snapping your foot down hard and he

would not want to fail just because his boss that it for Mac were not

working. I would like to see him running more

because we have not had that many double leg above the knee amputees.

I could see him being on the periphery of Rio. He's also trying

to do a masters in engineering. He could do both. Wheelchair racing,

Susan Cook was inspired by Tanni Grey-Thompson. Part of the David

Weir Academy. We can see her in the 100 metres.

COMMENTATOR: The women's 100-metre wheelchair race sees Susan Cook

drawn between two American competitors. Susan Cook, 26 years of

age, spurred on by Tanni Grey-Thompson and now settled on

athletics. Susan Cook, drawn between two Americans here and a fairly

level start. To her left, Kelly Elmlinger as a an advantage. Susan

Cook trying to close in second Elmlinger as a an advantage. Susan

place. Kelly Elmlinger wins for the United States would Susan Cook in

second place. And then Chand Agape is a fair way back in third. Victory

for Kelly Elmlinger. She got the best start and capitalised on it.

Susan Cook was always chasing thereafter.

Cook really keen to put in a first half push. But every time the first

wheel comes after she has two make an adjustment and she loses top

speed. But Kelly Elmlinger has a very smooth style. She could lift

her arms higher to increase speed but she has a good style. Plenty

more to come from Susan Cook. A lot to learn for Susan Cook but a

creditable second place all the same.

It was a similar story in the 400 metres with Kelly Elmlinger taking

gold and Susan Cook taking silver. Afterwards Susan spoke to fill.

It has been a successful day for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

What has it been like to be part of it? It has been amazing, from when I

woke up this morning, everybody is behind me. Supporting the entire

team. I have two personal bests and two medals. I could not be happier.

You say that even know your body has struggled, sport has recovered your

mind. I literally have to live on morphine just get up in the morning.

I live in pain otherwise. Usually the pain can stop me eating as well.

Sport gets me up in the morning and gives me a reason to live and eat. A

fantastic performance for you today. Keep it going. STUDIO: Kelly

Elmlinger also taking gold in the shot put. Tanni Grey-Thompson missed

a trick! Tomorrow we will focus on wheelchair rugby. Not for the

faint-hearted but perfect for rugby. There is an expression, "to walk

together, when life is hard people depend on and help each other so

that man-made prayed together to praise the same moral principles and

together reaffirm those quote. --" the game is known as murder ball

because people like the game. It is fast, furious, and that's how it

should be. It is very physical. These guys can pick up speed so when

they hit you used a hit. It's the game to watch. I would describe real

wheelchair rugby as a full contact real sport. It is four per side, a

four second shot clock, and we have to get over the halfway line within

12 seconds. Players have to do bounce or pass the ball within ten

seconds. The game is suited to the military because it is a team sport.

We have had problems getting away from the physical contact, but I

think we have got around that. Today we have been looking at the

tactics, strategy. The coaches are working very hard on our tactical

plays. We are teaching the players a four team plan as a tactic to break

through an opposition defence. We will walk through it and then become

more dynamic and get the defenders to start defending. What we do, we

go back and revisit tactics. It's going well. Charlie Walker is one of

our primary ball-handler is. He's competing in a number of events in

the Invictus Games. Wheelchair rugby is a different event for me. I

played basketball before. It can be quite violent, part of the reason I

enjoyed it? Then steal, he's very aggressive on court and very driven.

I'm working hard, giving it 110%. Ben Harvey and Carol Duffy. Baz

Whittingham is a great communicator. He's picked up the tactics really

well. But we are a team sport and we rely on all of the players to make

the team. No matter what injury anybody has always we are from

around the country, we come together and gel. People see what our style

is when we turn up on the day. Wheelchair rugby has become very

important to me. I can show people, like my family and friends, who

always see you when you are miserable. It is recovery, life

beyond injury, coming at the other side, and it is good.

Wheelchair rugby all the way tomorrow. Starting on the one show

from 7pm. The special Invitational match will feature Prince Harry and

Zara Phillips. They will lead some famous faces. I think it will be a

bit more soft touch than what will follow afterwards.

That is for tomorrow but we can now focus back on athletics. The Open

category, ie T6 for athletes with psychological injuries and

illnesses. We start with the 1500 metres and rejoin it at the closing

stages. COMMENTATOR: Whitman with the gap.

There is no doubt, a British 1-to hear. -- a British 1-2-mac here.

Chris Shaughnessy, representing Denmark will take the bronze medal.

Confirmation of the dominant win for the victor. Tom Sharpe running well

for the silver medal for Great Britain.

There were high hopes for sound stocks who took 200 metres in the

two had a metres before lining up in the 400 metres in lane four.

COMMENTATOR: Sound stocks, he was second fastest in the morning heats.

-- Sam stocks. Anderson has gone off a very slowly in the early stages.

The Canadian is towards the outside in lane seven and is buying for the

lead at this stage. Now starting to make ground, the man

fastest in the morning heats, Anderson of the United States.

The biggest challenge is being laid down by the Frenchman on the

outside. 60 metres to go. It is too late to catch Sam who gets there,

taking gold. The Frenchman in second and Anderson of America in third.

That was much quicker than he ran in the morning heats. After winning

bronze in the 200 metres, now it is gold over 400 metres for the

21-year-old. What a way to finish what has been a great day for Sam.

He had a little bit to spare over the Frenchman in lane one. The

American had to settle for the bronze. Sam has been a busy man

today but you timed it to perfection at the end with a tremendous run

following up from the tremendous home straight run in the 200 metres.

I am a glutton for punishment. I love it. My legs cramping up! My

physio has kept me together all week, massively. You have an ongoing

condition you are dealing with. How does this keep you inspired? It

keeps my mind on track. If I have nothing to aim for otherwise. It is

something I enjoy and will keep up. How will you celebrate the medals? I

have a kidney condition but I might just have one beer. Well done to

Sam. Joe Townsend was going for four medals before he began his campaign

in the 100 metres. Here is the man who is favourite to

win this, Joe Townsend. He joined the Marines aged 17. On his first

tour of Afghanistan, he lost both legs at the age of 19 and now he is

one of Britain's top paralympians. Townsend being cheered on by a big

crowd here. Joe Townsend takes his first gold

medal. A lovely start from Joe Townsend. You can see that he put

the slip on the left-hand side. It was hard to get the start going but

he lifts his arms well. Looking down at the front of his chair, he's not

used to racing on this track. 100 metres is new to him but he might do

it again in the future. start, next for him is the 1500

metres, he was completely dominating, he lapped half of the

field, is halfway to his target. Joe Townsend, attempting to make it

three gold medals in as many races this afternoon, having been

successful in the 100 and the 150 metres. Strong push at the start for

Joe Townsend, the captain of the British athletics team, leading by

example, he was fastest in the heats today, he is repeating that form,

justifying it, into second place, is the Dutch athlete, but a long way

adrift of Joe Townsend. Debris and performance again. Mark Urquhart,

who trailed behind him in the 1500 metres, takes the bronze, and Joe

Townsend takes the gold medal. No doubt, he has preserved some energy

for the 400 metres still to come. It is a golden hat-trick for the man

who is quickly becoming the star of the athletics in the Invictus Games.

It is turning into a wonderful afternoon for Joe Townsend. His

third gold medal. Townsend is in lane four. He starts

very quickly. You have two say there is no doubt he will win this,

barring any disqualification because he has been so dominant, it was only

30 minutes ago, the final of the 200 metres. There he is, down on the

back straight. He was at the World Series triathlon, showing his

prowess, on the track to great effect today. Totally dominant all

of the way through the day. Coming into the home straight, you cannot

see any of the athletes, it is all about Townsend. He has been the star

of these Invictus Games, they are coming down to take his fourth gold

medal, 56.8, and then coming to take another medal in what has been a

pretty successful day for the Australian Mark Urquhart, in lane

hate. Lane eight. Then in lane five, it

will be Jacob Richards, taking the bronze. STUDIO: The star performer

of today is Joe Townsend, a tremendous performance, former gold

medals, sum up your day? It has been incredible, the crowd have been

amazing, the whole stadium has been a rotting, I have been pushing it to

hope that these people get entertained and thank you for

helping me to do that. It is great, that you are inspired by this, I see

a future where there will be huge crowds, Rio is on your radar? Yes, I

currently compete with Great Britain, as long as I stay injury

free, hopefully Rio is the next goal. Congratulations, former gold

medals, go and enjoy them. Thank you. STUDIO: That was Sunday, we

talk about the different abilities, he is a bit of a star? He is

fantastic, triathlon, is a difficult sport and he is not a natural

sprinter, he has trained on the track only a handful of times, the

race I was most impressed with was 200, his timing and his technique

looked amazing, with just a few months more training on the track, I

would like to see what he could do that way. He's used to being on the

road, the curves are the hardest part, on the wheelchair commie is

not used to hitting the compensator so he did very well. Tell us about

the compensator? That is the thing that you see the athletes hitting,

the Spring bar, it is quite difficult to hit it at just the

right moment otherwise you drift out of your lane. It is not about talent

ID but it is great when you see somebody come through? It is, a lot

of these competitors have been on talent camps, with Paralympics GB,

you can see the difference between an athlete that has had so much more

support, maybe he is a bit more into the later part of his recovery. He

has just proved it today, that is where you are capable of getting

too. It is such an inspiration, saying you want to be like that one

day. Yes, as you mentioned, very inspiring, if you have been inspired

by this thing, go to the BBC website. Lots of information about

how you can get involved. Lots about the Invictus Games as well. It was

also a very good day for Britain in the IT one classification. We saw

Andy Grant is taking the gold medal, Bruce Ekman taking the bronze. Grant

was in lane four. COMMENTATOR: One lap of the track, Grant has shown

that he has got good pace, he is going off quickly, he has got

Maurice Lindegaard Manuel of Denmark next to him. Really flying away, the

British runner is in third place at the moment in lane two, Grant has

gone quickly, is he going to be able to maintain this sort of pace? It

looks like he has got all of the capabilities to do this, his gold in

the 1500 metres could well help out, he has got a lot of daylight, his

team-mate, is now moving into the silver medal position. From

Liverpool, coming down the home straight, it has been a great day

for him so. Grant eased up in the 1500, he uses up again, in the 400

metres. Right on the inside, it is Ram Moss that gets the bronze for

the USA. Two, to medals apiece. It has been

amazing, when I was lying here, recovering,

if somebody said that I would be cheered on, this event, I would not

have believed them. I just want to thank members of the British public,

my own friends and family, I have got my surgeon who amputated my leg.

Everyone, who has played a part in my recovery. Without the sport, and

Prince Harry this would not have been possible. Your sentiment? Thank

you so much, too Prince Harry for organising this wonderful event, and

what Help For Heroes have given house, sorting this out with

wheelchairs, and again to the public and media, thank you very much for

supporting us, really appreciating it. Thank you for letting us be a

part of it and we appreciated. STUDIO:

It has certainly been quite a first date in these Invictus Games,

humbling to watch and to be part of as well. It is such an amazing

opportunity, I cannot believe that people have done this for us. It is

more than I could have ever hoped for, or deserved. Thank you, really.

Thank you for taking part. It has been such a pleasure, this is just

the beginning. Who knows what the future holds. Who knows what the

games will go on to become. Why would this ever go away? Thank you

for talking to us. STUDIO: It has been nigh think a very special day,

something that was only conceived less than a year ago, it is

remarkable to see what it is like? It has been amazing, when I look at

the athlete biographies, and the journeys, what we see

in Paralympics, we have the amazing racing, but the Paralympic 's 2012

has opened up people 's mind to watching disabled Olympics. I think

it is a way that the British public and say thank you and can celebrate

and celebrate the positive stories, rather than the difficult things we

might have heard of. A veteran, how much do you think this means to the

Armed Forces here? It is a platform, they have mentioned Prince Harry a

lot and I will get onto him in a second, it is a platform for them to

showcase their talent and to give them a focus, it is part of that

rehabilitation journey, that will take them to a different stage of

their life, whether it be sporting, into a business. These athletes are

showing that they have so many athletes and within themselves to be

an asset to businesses. It is that transition into a sporting life, the

business world, the mainstream world. Just to reiterate some of the

things that have been said about Prince Harry. I sat on the first

steering committee in a room, in a military base, over a year ago, we

all sat around this table, Prince Harry walked in, his enthusiasm was

just infectious. He wanted from that moment to make this happened and it

has and it would not have happened without him, so total respect as to

go out to Prince Harry for this and he has put on a incredible show. As

have the athlete. Prince Harry has done a remarkable job and I think

the gratitude of all of the athlete has been very clear to see. We are

just about done on BBC Two, let me tell you, what is coming up

tomorrow, lots to look forward to, more athletics, Kushal Limbu, will

be there, and Richardson. Then we have got the wheelchair rugby

competition, USA and British teams, I wonder if they will end up in the

final together? He has tried his hand at sitting volleyball, Prince

Harry will be doing wheelchair rugby. Up against his cousin, Zara

Phillips. That should be quite something. We are back again

tomorrow at 7:30pm on BBC Two. Don't forget, the one show from 7pm, with

the celebrity rugby match. It also includes celebrity captains, you

have got Clive Woodward and you have also got Jonny Wilkinson in that. We

will be back again tomorrow but what a game it has been what a day it has

been, four goals, for Joe Townsend. Andy goals for the captain. David

Henson.