One of the biggest names in Brazilian artistic gymnastics and a medal hopeful for Brazil at the Tokyo Olympics, Flávia Saraiva completes four seasons wearing the red and black colors in 2020. At a very young age, Flavinha took her first steps in the sport and dreamed of becoming an internationally renowned gymnast, following in the footsteps of her idols: Daniele Hypólito and Daiane dos Santos. Learn more about the journey of the red and black gymnast, who in such a short time enchanted everyone with her incredible performances, whether for the Mais Querido or representing the Brazilian National Team, until her arrival at Flamengo.

The beginning
As a young girl, Flavinha dreamed of becoming a gymnast while watching Daniele Hypólito and Daiane dos Santos perform. At eight, she gained attention while training in a social project for public school students. When she turned eleven, Flávia Saraiva decided to leave the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro to live in the city of Três Rios, in the south of the state. Accompanied by her coach and other athletes, the Flamengo fan began training at the NGO Qualivida/Três Rios project, created by coach Georgette Vidor, current technical coordinator of Flamengo's artistic gymnastics program.  

First achievements
In December 2013, in her second international competition, the gymnast won gold on the floor and balance beam, as well as silver in the team competition at the Gymnasiade Brasil. The following year, at the WOGA Classics Texas, Flavinha placed first on the balance beam, second with her team, and fifth in the individual all-around. That same season, the remarkable little girl competed at the Junior Pan American Championships and placed first on the floor and individual all-around, finishing second in the team competition and third on the beam and beam.
In 2015, Flávia Saraiva made her international debut for the Brazilian Senior National Team at the Gymnastics World Cup in São Paulo. She won the floor event and silver medal on the balance beam. At the Pan American Games, she secured bronze in the individual all-around, with Brazil also placing third in the competition.

Arrival at Flamengo
In December 2015, Flávia Saraiva stepped foot in the Cláudio Coutinho gymnasium in Gávea for the first time as a guest. After several months of discussions, the athlete joined the Mais Querido artistic gymnastics team in March 2016.  

Main achievements with the Holy Mantle
In June 2016, now representing the Rubro-Negro, Flavinha won two gold medals on the floor and beam at the Portugal stage of the Gymnastics World Cup, marking her first international achievement (while representing the Brazilian National Team) wearing the Sacred Mantle. That same year, she finished fifth on the beam at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a strong result for her first Olympics. In 2017, Flávia Saraiva continued to shine for the Brazilian National Team, winning bronze on the uneven bars in Slovenia at the World Cup.
The following season, the gymnast placed second in the individual all-around at the South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia. That same year, Flavinha competed in the Brazilian Specialist Championships for the Rubro-Negro team, winning gold on beam and silver on floor, as well as the Brazilian team title.

Last year, the Mais Querido athlete repeated the feat, winning the Brazilian Specialist Team Championship, in addition to securing gold on the balance beam and silver on the uneven bars. For the Brazilian national team, Flavinha won bronze in the individual all-around at the Pan American Games. In October 2019, at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, the gymnast placed 10th in the individual all-around, qualifying for the final and securing a spot at the Tokyo Olympics. In the final, finishing 7th was Brazil's best result in the competition in the last 12 years. Flavia also reached the finals on the floor exercise and balance beam, finishing 4th and 6th, respectively.

Artistic gymnastics has always been one of Mais Querido's strongest disciplines and a multi-champion, boasting renowned names like the Hypólito brothers. Currently, Brazilian National Team athletes like Jade Barbosa, Rebeca Andrade, and Lorrane Dos Santos, along with Flávia, make the main red-and-black team even more qualified and ready to compete for medals in every competition they participate in. Since joining the Red-and-Black team, Flavinha has undergone significant technical development and is now one of the country's leading names in the sport, serving as a role model for younger athletes taking their first steps in the sport.

Technical sheet

- Name: Flávia Lopes Saraiva
- Modality: Artistic Gymnastics
- Age: 20 years old
- Height: 1,45m
- Place of Birth: Rio de Janeiro, RJ

The artistic gymnastics teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo rely on resources from their sponsors – AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR), in addition to support from the Brazilian Committee of Clubs (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources originating from the Pelé Law.