COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (AP) - Combat helicopter pilot Prince Harry of Britain along with Olympic swimming champion Missy Franklin joined an American naval officer who had been blinded in Afghanistan in launching the Warrior Games for wounded service members.

Lieutenant Bradley Snyder, Harry and Franklin lifted a torch on Saturday to ignite an Olympic-style cauldron, after completing the last leg of a brief torch relay at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to formally start the games.

It was a touching start to the Paralympic-style games, which run through Thursday. About 260 athletes are competing in basketball, volleyball, shooting, archery, track and field and swimming - Snyder's sport.

Britain sent a 35-member team, and the prince met with the athletes earlier in the day. He also sat on a gymnasium floor in a circle of 12 sitting volleyball players, batting the ball around amid whoops and laughter.