The first-ever winter Invictus Games is about to get underway in Vancouver - and this year will see a big change to one of the events in the "life-changing" competition.
It has been put in place in the name of making the event more accessible to competitors, but not everyone is reportedly totally happy about the new approach. This year, the biathlon event will see competitors use lasers instead of rifles, something that organisers of the Invictus Games say will allow a broader range of people with disabilities able to take part in the event.
The biathlon sees competitors blend cross-country skiing with their shooting skills, and they are challenged to stop in a shooting range in between skiing stages, where they must aim to shoot five targets. In this tricky event, every time a competitor misses a target, they have to ski an extra loop - which is around 80m, according to Invictus' website.
One competitor who had tried out the lasers pointed out - per The Telegraph - that there had been some teething pains when it came to incorporating the new equipment that's replacing the traditional rifles used. "We had a couple of issues with the cold and some of the [laser] guns just not working," explained Christopher Bryde, a veteran from the US Army, who tragically lost both of his legs below his knees after being injured by a bomb in Afghanistan.
"Also, snow seemed to obstruct some of the targets," Christoper added, "For example, I shot perfectly for five laps and then in one lap I only hit one target. We checked out the gun and there was a bit of snow covering the laser thing [lens]."
However, a spokesperson for Invictus explained why they had decided to make the alteration and what measures had been put in place to ensure that the lasers were working correctly on the day so that competitors could focus on their performance.
"The principal reason for the lasers is inclusivity," the spokesperson explained, per the Daily Mail. "[They] can be used by a wide range of those with disabilities."
They added that to make sure that snow didn't disrupt the lasers in the games itself, "there would be officials on site ensuring readiness for the rifles." This is the first time in its history that the Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry in 2014, will include winter sports - and it's a cause that Harry has been passionate about since he first visited a smaller-scale version of the competition in the US - called the Warrior Games.
So much so that reports have claimed that Harry is keen for his two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, to one day continue his work with the initiative that provides a lifeline to injured former service people.
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