Prince Harry joins human pyramid

Prince Harry grimaces at the bottom of a pyramid of cheerleaders, US and British military officials. Photo / AFP

He has raced against Usain Bolt, played volleyball on a Rio beach and cooked doughnuts for the press, but now Prince Harry completed his most unusual feat - joining a human pyramid.

On day four of his US tour the Prince, 28, joined cadets at a US Air Force academy in Colorado Springs for an American Football training session, during which he also watched a display of gymnastics by the cheerleaders.

The third in line to the throne gamely got down on all fours to help form a three-tier pyramid with a man dressed as a bird at the top.

The Prince also managed to rope in Britain's most senior military officer in the US, Major General Buster Howse, military attache to the British embassy in Washington, who crouched down beside him.

Two cheerleaders crouched on top of them and the mascot of the US Air Force Academy's Falcons gridiron team formed the apex.

After forming the pyramid the Prince adopted an American accent to say: "Good job''.

Cadet Scott Cronin, 19, said: "I was on top of him and he was solid, a solid base. He did great.''

Earlier the Prince had tried his hand at being a quarterback at the academy's full-sized indoor gridiron pitch.

The Prince was in his element as he was shown how to throw and catch a football, prompting the man who coached him to say: "I'd like to sign him up''.

And he showed deadly accuracy as he threw the ball 30 metres at photographers, scoring a direct hit on a TV cameraman.

He was shown the ropes by Troy Calhoun, head football coach at the academy and a former quarterback, and within minutes was throwing 40 and 50 metre passes for other cadets to catch.

He also managed to catch a 50-metre pass on the run.

Mr Calhoun said: "The Prince was terrific. You can tell he has great body co-ordination, he would be a natural football player. He is aggressive, he is strong, he is smart, I would love to sign him up to the Air Force Academy football team if I could.

"Honestly I was a little surprised how good he was. It's not an easy game to pick up and a football is not a regular ball.''

The Air Force Academy is one of two sites being used to stage the Warrior Games for injured servicemen and women, and the Prince took part in the training session as he was given a tour of some of the base's impressive facilities.

When the Prince threw the ball at the cameramen, he grinned and told the TV man he hit that he was trying to hit one of the stills photographers. "I was aiming for John,'' he joked.

- PA