THE words “is this a final?” are rippling across the office as I write this column.

The whole country is gripped with Olympics fever. Dear Lord, we have even stopped discussing the awful weather. It’s positively un-British.

So, as the medals are being awarded in London, we at the Argus have drawn up a list of our own heroes and heroines of the Games so far...

HEROES:

● Bradley Wiggins for conducting the crowd singing “Wiggo” during his gold medal ceremony, inspiring a nation to wear stick-on sideburns, and celebrating with fish and chips and vodka.

● Papa Le Clos for almost exploding with pride when son Chad won gold.

● Canoe gold medallist Etienne Stott’s performance on Gabby Logan’s show after being told cheering crowds outside could see him. He said: “They can see my bald patch from there!”

● Ian Thorpe for services to shattering Aussie stereotypes.

● Sir Chris Hoy for name-checking the “fantastic” training camp in Newport. Oh, and all those medals, of course.

● Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu, the oldest competitor in London 2012 at the age of 71 – he first competed in an Olympics in Tokyo in 1964

● Gold medal-winning shooter Peter Wilson, for shouting in sheer delight, mid-TV interview, “Dad!”

● Cycling gold medallist Jason Kenny for the look of “what the heck is he saying now?” while German-born Philip Hindes was tying himself up in all kind of knots on camera.

● Michael Phelps for his grace in defeat in showing Chad Le Clos the ropes after his win.

● British basketball superstar Luol Deng – who went from fleeing Southern Sudan as a refugee, to Brixton, and then to the heights of the NBA. Despite being the best paid British athlete – earning more money than even David Beckham – he is back home representing his country with pride.

HEROINES:

● Fifteen-year-old swimmer Ruta Meilutyte for being almost completely unable to speak to Sharron Davies after her gold medal win.

● Judo silver medallist Gemma Gibbons for her emotional tribute to her late mum as she reached her final.

● The BBC’s Jill Douglas for navigating the spiky egos of the world’s best cyclists with style.

● Michael Phelps’ mother Debbie, for services to the sale of ethnic jewellery and always being there to support her son.

● Olga Korbut for just being Olga Korbut – with a special Newsdesk gold medal for telling John McEnroe very sternly: “I am NOT Russian”.

● Heptathlete Jessica Ennis for dealing with all that pressure as the face of the Games and coming out with a storming 100m hurdles

● Welsh sailor Hannah Mills for gaining an unusual supporter – Snoop Dogg. He has sent her a good luck message on YouTube. His penchant for supporting Welsh folk has now earned him the nickname Ci Snoop in these parts.

● The GB women’s hockey team captain Kate Walsh who took a stick to the face and had to have surgery on her jaw. Despite that she refused to withdraw from the Games.

● First GB gold medallists, rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning, for showing the way.

● Every single woman beach volleyball player – after Boris Johnson’s bizarre outburst that they “glisten like otters”.

GB’s stamps of success are a first class move

LOVE Royal Mail’s work this Games. Turning around stamps of gold medal winners within 24 hours and painting gold a postbox in their home towns taps into that feelgood factor nicely.

So much so that it almost makes me forget the cost of a stamp.