Have they finished yet?

I’m talking about the Paralympics. Okay, I’ll admit it – the whole concept makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. Firstly, what constitutes “disabled”? How disabled do the athletes have to be? How do we know it’s a fair and level playing field? And Channel 4’s descriptor of the athletes – “The Superhumans”. Whilst their levels of courage and achievement can certainly be described as “superhuman”, the athletes themselves cannot and should not. Bit patronising, isn’t it? The large number of disabled people who complained to Channel 4 certainly thought so. But it’s more because the Paralympics make me feel guilty. What the competitors achieve with such obvious physical handicaps put most able-bodied people to shame. And shame is not a nice feeling. Which is why I find the Paralympics so discomfiting to watch. And that in itself makes me feel even more guilty. So this might have been a very appropriate theme tune.