“Let’s shake on it.” “Let’s shake on it.” ADVERTISING Not if you’re one of Britain’s Olympic athletes. The 550-strong British team has been advised by its top doctor to avoid shaking hands with rivals and visiting dignitaries at the London
“Let’s shake on it.”
Not if you’re one of Britain’s Olympic athletes.
The 550-strong British team has been advised by its top doctor to avoid shaking hands with rivals and visiting dignitaries at the London Games this summer.
The reason: Olympic germs could cost Olympic gold.
And while etiquette experts fear the host country could look rude, the British Olympic Association is far more concerned with illness spreading through the camp and thwarting the country’s bid for glory.
Britain’s minimum target is to match its fourth-place finish at the Beijing Olympics four years ago when it brought home 47 medals.
And BOA chief medical officer Dr. Ian McCurdie believes strong personal hygiene could prove to be the difference between success and failure.
Asked if the traditional British greeting of a handshake should be off-limits, Dr. McCurdie said: “I think, within reason, yes.”
