A new-look Invictus Games is coming to Vancouver and Whistler, featuring winter adaptive sports for the first time.

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, announced Friday that the two B.C. municipalities have won the bid to host the eight-day international sports competition for wounded and ill military veterans in February 2025.

B次元官网网址淎s Invictus continues to adapt and evolve, I am extremely excited to announce that the Invictus Games Foundation has selected Canada to host the first-ever Winter Hybrid Games in 2025,B次元官网网址� Prince Harry, founder and patron on the competition, said in a statement.

B次元官网网址淭he Invictus Games Vancouver-Whistler 2025 will offer a global platform to expand the range and profile of winter adaptive sports.B次元官网网址�

The games will feature alpine skiing, nordic skiing, skeleton and wheelchair curling as well as swimming, indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball.

Over 500 athletes from more than 20 nations are expected to compete.

B次元官网网址淲e think that that combination of both indoor, traditional sports and new, innovative winter sports in a pioneering, hybrid format will be particularly exciting for competitors and their friends and families,B次元官网网址� said Nick Booth, CEO of True Patriot Love, a Canadian foundation that supports military members, veterans and their families.

True Patriot Love is partnering with local governments and First Nations, the provincial government and the federal government to host the 2025 games. The foundation previously helped put on the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto.

B次元官网网址淲e learned (in 2017) just how popular the games are in Canada,B次元官网网址� Booth said. B次元官网网址淭he Canadian public really came out to support, celebrate and volunteer. And weB次元官网网址檙e sure the public of British Columbia will do the same.B次元官网网址�

London hosted the first Invictus Games in 2014. This yearB次元官网网址檚 competition is currently being held in The Hauge.

Booth is in the Netherlands, taking in the event and said heB次元官网网址檚 been inspired once again by what heB次元官网网址檚 seen.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e all amazing events. They change B次元官网网址� in fact, they save B次元官网网址� peopleB次元官网网址檚 lives. IB次元官网网址檝e met people whoB次元官网网址檝e told me theyB次元官网网址檙e alive because of the Invictus Games,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淧art of this journey for the athletes is not just the physical journey. Part of it is the sense of recognition and celebration they get from the crowd.B次元官网网址�

Vancouver and Whistler hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics and both municipalities are backing a bid by local First Nations to hold the 2030 Winter Games.

B次元官网网址� Gemma Karstens-Smith, THE CANADIAN PRESS