Cláudio Coutinho Gymnasium reopened with ceremony
The home of red-and-black artistic gymnastics receives new equipment and is the stage for tributes to former athletes
By Communication - Official Club Website - inThis Thursday (December 03.12), Gávea was the scene of a new beginning and excitement. The Cláudio Coutinho gymnasium, a training ground for the red-and-black gymnasts throughout history, was reopened after renovations that made it one of the best places to practice the sport in the country. The ceremony was attended by the club's athletes and coaches, as well as famous former gymnasts.
After a fire in November 2012, the gymnasium required renovations. Furthermore, the gymnasium received new equipment, suitable for training gymnasts worthy of the Mais Querido's grandeur. Air conditioning and a new pit were also installed. After three years, this process has come to an end. Georgette Vidor, former Flamengo coach and current coordinator of the Brazilian women's national team, was present and couldn't hide her emotion.
"Seeing the fire in 2012 was one of the saddest moments of my life. I was part of Flamengo gymnastics for a large part of my life, I was involved in the construction of this gym, and all I could think was, 'What will become of Flamengo gymnastics now?' Being here today is a great emotion," she says.
The evening began with speeches from Flamengo president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello and vice president of Olympic Sports Alexandre Póvoa.
"It took three years of hard work, a lot of effort, and little money to rebuild this place, which is a red-and-black heritage. I could never stop thanking the Brazilian Confederation of Clubs (CBC), the American Olympic Committee (USOC), and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), who helped us, and we were able to recover this equipment. We will use this to elevate our gymnastics to the level it deserves. I'm sure that from now on it will bring us more and more joy," said Bandeira de Mello, followed by Póvoa.
"November 29, 2012, was a very bad day. Soon after, we changed Flamengo's outlook of not paying debts and taxes, and thus, we gained access to the Incentive Law. The reopening of this gym today completes a cycle in which we managed, in three years, to get through a very difficult period," said the vice president.
Marcelo Vido, Executive Director of Olympic Sports, also spoke. "A special thanks to our partners and the parents of the athletes and members of the Flamengo Sports School. It's very important to follow, I know how important it is. I thank the athletes and the coaching staff. A shout-out to gymnastics, a shout-out to Flamengo's Olympic sports, a shout-out to Flamengo!" he celebrated.
Tributes and reunions
The gym's reopening continued with a tribute to all the red-and-black athletes who participated in the Olympic and World Artistic Gymnastics Games. The gymnasts received plaques commemorating their achievements. Following this, speeches were given by former gymnasts Georgette Vidor, after whom the strength and bodybuilding center at the Gávea headquarters is named, and Luisa Parente, who was one of the country's greatest athletes in the sport and is now the club's manager of Olympic Land Sports.
Major names in Flamengo gymnastics received commemorative statuettes in recognition of their contributions to Olympic sport. Finally, Flamengo team members performed exhibitions on each of the gym's equipment.
Keli Kitaura, coach of the club's women's artistic gymnastics team and the Brazilian national team, expressed her joy for her athletes. "We trained in Três Rios (RJ) during this time. We were very well received there, but it wasn't our home, it wasn't Flamengo. It was great to arrive here today; you could see the sparkle in our athletes' eyes," she revealed.
Gymnast Jade Barbosa also celebrated the gym's renovation. "When I arrived here in 1997, I thought the gym was the most beautiful thing in the world. Everything we achieved was through hard work and struggle. Seeing the state of the equipment today makes me very happy for future generations, who will have the encouragement and even better conditions," she concluded.
You can learn more about the reopening of the Claudio Coutinho Gymnasium soon on Nova FlaTV. Click here, subscribe to Mengão's YouTube channel, and stay up to date!
The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo youth artistic gymnastics teams receive funding from their sponsor, MRS Logística, via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR). You can also contribute by becoming a Flamengo Guardian Angel. Simply transfer up to 6% of your IR due and receive your contribution back in your income tax refund. Participate by visiting www.flamengo.com.br/anjodaguarda. Click here and find out who has already transferred their tax to 2015 projects.