OUR lives have been dominated by sport during the past couple of weeks. It's been impossible to turn on the TV, listen to radio or open a newspaper without the exploits of our Olympians jostling for attention.

Proper thing, too. I can't be the only one depressed by the continuing mayhem in Iraq, wondering if, not when, life will ever return to normal in that part of the Middle East.

In Athens, battles of a personal nature have been fought, won and lost. Everyone knows that Paula Radcliffe aborted her attempt at marathon glory four miles or so from the finish.

Footage of post-race interviews were awful. No-one of sound mind deliberately chooses to watch another human on the verge of complete meltdown.

Failure, especially one as spectacular as that experienced by Paula Radcliffe, can shred the victim's confidence and self-esteem. The damage is made worse when that person is carrying not only their own hopes and expectations, but also those of a nation.

Paula insists it was neither the heat nor injury which caused her collapse. We can only hope that she recovers mentally. One of my couch potato pals remarked dismissively: "It's only a race. Nobody died". Try telling that to Paula Radcliffe.

Elsewhere, teenage boxing sensation Amir Khan, who lives in Bolton and trains at Bury Amateur Boxing Club, is doing more for race relations than a truckload of politicians. His accent is pure Lancastrian and his family and friends, who have travelled to Athens to support him, wear clothing made from union flags. I don't know the lad, have never even spoken to him, but his colour, race and religion don't matter. He's fighting for Britain and even the most extreme bigots among us must concede that he's doing a hell of a job.

There's a saying, attributed to Count Basie or Duke Ellington, I've never been sure which, that if all the world were musicians, there would be no such thing as racial prejudice.

The same rules must apply in sport, where everyone seems to get along just fine, until the starting pistol or bell goes, that is. But winning and losing has nothing to do with race, religion or colour. It's down to talent, application, courage and self-belief. Amir has those in spades.

I wonder if Wayne Rooney has been watching Amir Khan and the other amateurs going through the pain barrier in Greece in search of medals which don't come backed up by a weekly paycheck running into thousands. Rooney, the soccer wunderkind, who isn't much older than Amir Khan, has been going for gold in the sex Olympics according to tabloid stories, linking him with regular visits to vice dens.

But what else should we expect of this young man and his contemporaries, hugely rewarded but mentally challenged, built up to be demigods by the same media which gleefully reveal all their human frailties? Dedication? Awareness of social responsibility? Self-respect?

Leave it out. That's for the Olympians. Yes. Even the losers.