“Don’t meet people unnecessarily”
Ski stars avoid shaking hands and crowds
December 18, 2025 – 5:09 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Austria’s athletes are taking clear precautionary measures in preparation. One person has even stopped making simple gestures like shaking hands.
Johannes Lamparter is not taking any risks this season. “I don’t shake hands anymore,” explained the 24-year-old combined athlete in the “Today” interview. “I just try to work as professionally as possible,” continued Lamparter, who is trying not to get sick during the Olympic season. And he is not alone in that.
Cross-country skier Mika Vermeulen also follows a strict strategy to avoid infection. For the 26-year-old, avoiding crowds has become a habit. “If there are more than five people in a room, I won’t go in,” he told the “Krone”. He also doesn’t want to get infected with a virus: “Now it’s important to use the time wisely – train, train, train – and not meet people unnecessarily.”
Vermeulen’s next race is the Tour de Ski, which starts on December 28th. Last winter he managed a surprise with a second place in the overall ranking.