Federica Pellegrini, the Italian Queen of the World Swimming Championships which were staged in Rome last month, shocked a few members of the media and her numerous fans when during one of the many interviews admitted that she and her boyfriend Luca Marin had sex before several events.

During a well-organised championship Pellegrini 21, lifted gold medals in the 200m and 400m free style with record timings; but the Sicilian Marin placed only seventh in his race, namely the 400m medley.

It seems that the nights of passion only worked in favour of Fede’s ambitions, but didn’t do much for Luca! In all honesty Luca faced very stiff challenges.

Bed stories

Do bed stories really affect performances of the athlete in competitions?

The subject has been debated since time immemorial, but apparently there are no hard and fast rules. Even medics and researchers do not agree on the topic.

George Best, one of the greatest footballers of all time, is remembered not only for his brilliant performances on the field of play and the sad episodes that marked his life but also for his hilarious quotes, a few are quite appropriate to the topic.

When Michael Parkison asked how soon before kick-off George had made love, the cheeky Irishman’s reply “Half time” almost choked the famous interviewer.

George Best admitted that he “used to go missing... Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World”.

When he was sober, Best explained “no, minutes before the match no but the night before? No problem. It made no odds for me.”

Best falls over ball after being naughty

Actually Best said he wouldn’t have sex minutes before a match, but legend has it that he was discovered having sex just an hour before the 1970 FA Cup semifinal with Leeds. It had a very negative effect on his performance. He played terribly, so much so in his autobiography called Blessed he mentions the game and admitted: ‘I had my normal nightmare against Leeds though I had the chance to score the winner, but fell over the ball!”

George Best falling over a ball! The Brazilian Romario believed in Best’s theory. He said “good strikers can only score goals when they have had good sex on the night before the match”.

That situation made a striking contrast with a few world sport champions like the cyclist Alfredo Binda, five times winner of the Giro d’Italia and 3 world titles, way back during the late twenties and early thirties of last century when sex was taboo especially for sportsmen/women. He declared that during his period of triumphs he only had sex once a year.

Bob Beamon’s day after the night before

On the contrary Bob Beamon confessed of having a hectic night of sex with a hostess on the eve of his record 8.90m long jump in Mexico Olympiad in 1968. The first time ever that he performed before an exceptional day.

During his time with Inter in the sixties, the famous Helenio Herrera used to lock his players at Appiano Gentile, before and even after every match whereas during the same period the Dutch Federation used to take the players’ wives and girl friends for important competitions like the World Cup edition of 1974.

Sven Ericsson tried the same approach with WAGs during recent World Cup editions which saw England just reaching the quarterfinals. The Dutch got all the needed inspiration whereas the WAGs only caused headlines for their wrong behaviour.

What are the conclusions from such episodes?

Highly qualified sport scientists say that effect, positive or otherwise, from the athletic point of view is minimal when having sex on the eve of important events. However, Vitaly Petrov who coached Sergey Bubka and currently is Yelena Isinbayeva’s mentor feels that it affects the concentration of the athlete in a negative manner.

This simply means that the record-breaking Yelena sleeps alone before her feats. A record of 5.06m may be a sign of abstinence.

Myths

The myth of sex before sport continues. Usually we learn of brags or fibs from winners but not the desperation of losers who may easily put the blame on what had happened the night before the event!

Sport and sex is the oldest question in the whole world of sport.

A Roman historian (Pliny the Elder) wrote “athletes when sluggish are revitalised by love making and the voice is restored from being gruff and husky.”

That was in AD 77. Unbelievably the debate continues even throughout these days.

Tony Formosa