Thrills and chills are back

I DON’t need an appointment with a GP to know my Winter Olympics withdrawal symptoms are real.

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I miss the nail-biting drama of watching groups of men and women pushing and sweeping heavy lumps of granite down a sheet of ice, and the gob-smacking sight of adrenaline junkies performing backflips on a snowy slope.

Thankfully, Winter Paralympics begins tonight, with more than 650 athletes from 50 countries competing in 79 medal events across six sports in northern Italy.

The opening ceremony is being held at the Verona Arena (the first Roman amphitheatre and Unesco World Heritage Site to be used for such an event) and promises a stunning spectacle entitled Life In Motion.