Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Harry takes on skeleton bobsled – in his jeans
THE Duke of Sussex tried his hand at skeleton bobsled when he joined Invictus Games competitors training in Canada.
Pictures from the track in Whistler show Harry sporting a white helmet as he sped headfirst down the frozen track on a sled designed by a West Country-based former world champion
Kristian Bromley, who was based at the University of Bath during his competitve career, also became a sled pioneer while working in engineering and applied sciences research at the university.
Kristian, who lives near Pewsey in Wiltshire with his wife, fellow sledding Olympian Shelley Rudman, is now considered one of the world’s top sled designers.
Posting on Twitter Kristian said: “Great to see Prince Harry riding our British made Bromley Tr1 Skeleton sled ahead of the #InvictusGamesVancouverWhistler.”
Harry reached a speed of 61.5mph on the same Whistler track that Bath’s Amy Williams won Winter Olympics gold in 2010.
Her top speed then was 89mph, but as well as their sporting talent world-class athletes such as Williams, Rudman and Bromley usual sport something a little sleeker than the bomber jacket and jeans combo Harry was wearing.
The Duchess of Sussex, who was watching her husband from the side of the track, did not take part.
“Meghan, you’ve got to go,” someone shouted. “No way,” she replied.
It is one year before the Invictus Games takes place in the town, and the city of Vancouver, in western Canada.
The skeleton, which originated in the Swiss resort of St Moritz, first featured at the Winter Olympics in 1928. Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans to aid their recovery.
At the games next year about 550 competitors from up to 25 countries will compete in indoor adaptive events such as sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball and, for the first time, winter sports like Alpine skiing, snowboarding and wheelchair curling will be on the schedule..