British Olympians getthumbs up for handshakes

On the other hand ... 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 common sense measures by maintaining good hand hygiene to minimise 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." Tweets take potshots 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 minimising 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. 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."