Olympics: Australia reject hand-shake warning

SYDNEY: Australian athletes will continue to shake hands with their rivals at the London Olympics since not to do so would be an ‘embarrassment’, according to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC). The British Olympic Association’s (BOA) chief medical officer said earlier that, ‘within reason’, shaking hands should be off-limits, given that bugs could spread like wildfire in the close confines of an athletes’ village. However, the AOC said it would not be heeding this advice. “Australian athletes have always extended the hand of friendship and we will most certainly being doing that in London,” said an AOC spokesman. “It’s the Australian way.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2012.