British athletes are being told not to shake hands in case they catch a bug which wrecks their Olympic dreams.
A mild bug which can knock athletes off their stride could be picked up in the “quite stressful environment” of the Games, according to Dr Ian McCurdie, the British Olympic Association (BOA) chief medical officer.
It could hamper an athlete’s chances of performing at their best, he said. Asked if they should avoid shaking hands, he said: “I think, within reason, yes. I think that is not such a bad thing to advise.
“The difficulty is when you have got some reception and you have got a line of about 20 people you have never met before who you have got to shake hands with.
“Within reason if you do and have to shake hands with people, so long as you understand that regular handwashing and/or also using hand foam can help reduce the risk – that would be a good point.”
The advice is part of a detailed package of health and resilience issues which the BOA has looked at ahead of the Games.