Flamengo will be participating in the Brazilian Artistic Gymnastics Trophy, which will take place from May 9th to 11th in Brasília. The competition, one of the most important on the national calendar, will be contested on apparatus and will serve as an important preparation stage for two of the top prospects of the Flamengo women's team: Júlia Coutinho and Gabriela Bouças.

The two gymnasts have been selected to represent Brazil in the next stage of the World Cup, and the Brazil Trophy will be crucial for them to gain rhythm and confidence before the international challenge. "We'll focus on preparing Júlia Coutinho and Gabriela Bouças, who have been selected for the World Cup. This competition will serve as preparation for them, as it will be their first time competing in an international event at this level," explained Georgette Vidor, technical coordinator of Flamengo's women's artistic gymnastics team.

In addition to Júlia and Gabriela, Flamengo will have two more representatives in the adult category: Helen and Maria Eduardo Montesino, who are aiming to reach apparatus finals and win individual medals. However, the club won't be at full strength in the competition. "We're going with only four adult athletes. Our Olympic gymnasts won't be participating, and Larissa, also in the adult category, was injured. That's why we decided not to take the junior athletes," said Georgette.

The coaching staff's strategy also takes into account the season's objectives. "Although many clubs treat the Trophy as a priority competition, for us at Flamengo, our main focus remains on the Brazilian Championships by category. Even so, we want to defend our team titles and seek individual victories," he emphasized.

The event's schedule will be intense: official training on Thursday (9), qualifying on Friday (10), finalists' training on Saturday (11) and finals on Sunday (12). Gabriela Bouças will compete on the uneven bars and beam at the Trophy and, depending on her performance, could also expand her participation to the floor exercise at the World Cup. Júlia Coutinho is confirmed on the floor exercise and is looking to put on a solid performance.

"This Trophy is a good opportunity for athletes who need more competition experience. We'll participate to honor the event, even though we're not at full strength. This is different from last year, when the competition was in Rio and we brought all our athletes, including the Olympic athletes—Lorrane, Jade, Flávia, and Rebeca. This year, the context is different. We're going smaller, but with the same spirit of representing the Club well and supporting our gymnasts during this period of preparation," concluded Georgette.