The government has rejected advice from the British Olympic team’s top doctor that athletes should not shake hands at the London Games to avoid germs that could make them sick. Government health advisers seemed perplexed by the guidelines, which Olympic hopefuls derided as “rude” and “pointless.”
By late Tuesday, the British Olympic Association had softened its stance. Yes, the athletes will be able to greet others among the 10,000 visiting Olympians and hundreds of dignitaries with handshakes. They’ll just have to make sure they wash thoroughly later.
“Team GB’s 550 athletes will of course warmly welcome their fellow competitors from around the world — there is no question about that,” BOA communications director Darryl Seibel said. “We are not advising our athletes to avoid shaking hands. We are simply reminding them to follow commonsense measures by maintaining good hand hygiene to minimize the risk of becoming ill.”
During a briefing with a small group of reporters, BOA chief medical officer Dr. Ian McCurdie pointed out that the Olympic Village environment could be a “pretty hostile one” for infections and said a handshake ban was “not such a bad thing.”
His comments went viral in Britain, drawing derision on TV, radio and in social media. Even the Department of Health urged Olympians to disregard the advice. “It goes without saying that we should all wash our hands regularly to keep them clean and prevent spreading bugs,” the department said in a statement. “But there’s no reason why people shouldn’t shake hands at the Olympics.”
Athletes took to Twitter to insist that they would still shake on it at the games. “Can’t we just carry around a small bottle of hand gel & not be so rude to everyone we meet?” tweeted Pete Reed, an Olympic champion rower.
But triathlete Hollie Avil, who was forced to pull out of the 2008 Beijing Olympics after picking up a virus, quipped: “Maybe I shook too many hands in Beijing.” The BOA’s clarification is now merely about minimizing the risk of germ transmission during the Olympics.
“After years of training and sacrifice, the last thing an athlete would want to do is unintentionally compromise or undermine their ability to perform at their very best at the Olympic Games, and basic, commonsense measures can go a long way toward making certain that doesn’t happen,” Seibel said.
That echoed the message from the U.S. team. “We always encourage our athletes at the Olympic Games to embrace the Olympic spirit and meet, greet and interact with as many different athletes from as many nationalities as possible,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said.
The Sydney 2000 Olympics were widely praised for the friendly and welcoming way the games were hosted. The Australian Olympic Committee wouldn’t even contemplate asking athletes not to shake hands. “It would be an embarrassment for us not to shake hands,” AOC spokesman Mike Tancred said Wednesday. “Our medical director urges the athletes to wash their hands regularly, but it’s more from picking up bugs from stairway railings and things like that. And we will encourage them to use those antibacterial sprays that are always at the front of dining halls these days.
“No, for sure we’ll be shaking hands. It’s the Australian way.” Australia chef de mission Nick Green says personal hygiene is a crucial part of an athlete’s preparation, but McCurdie’s advice goes too far.
“We won’t be requesting, in any way, our athletes avoid handshaking,” Green said. “It’s the way we greet people. It’s an act of friendship on and off the field of play.” Five-time Olympic kayaker and 1992 gold medalist Clint Robinson said the suggestion was “ridiculous.”
“What about every door handle you touch, every bag you have to pick up?” Robinson said. A handshake “is a symbol of having good friendships.” The advice being given to Olympic volunteers in London on how to deal with delicate situations also emerged on Tuesday.
About 70,000 people have been given the advice at training sessions where they were asked to complete a quiz on dealing with diversity and inclusion. One question in the workbook describes a complaint from a spectator made “very uncomfortable” by two men sitting next to him holding hands and asks volunteers how they would respond.
Among potential multiple-choice answers are the options to tell him to “stop being a homophobic idiot” or “politely ask the couple to stop holding hands.” The third answer is: “You explain that there is a huge diversity of people at the London 2012 Games, which includes gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals and couples.”
