Having qualified for the test event that will determine the final spots for the 2012 Olympics in London in January, the women's and men's artistic gymnastics teams are already preparing for the challenge. The girls have been meeting at the Flamengo gym since the beginning of December. Four Flamengo players are part of the selected group: Daniele Hypolito, Jade Barbosa, Priscila Cobello, and Gabriela Soares. The boys, who have four Flamengo gymnasts in their squad: Diego Hypolito, already guaranteed a spot at the Games after finishing third at the Tokyo World Championships on the floor exercise, Sérgio Sasaki, Victor Rosa, and Petrix Barbosa, travel to Europe on Sunday (3/11.12) where they will also participate in a training period.

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Nine gymnasts on the women's national team are seeking to be part of the six-athlete squad that will represent the country in London. Coaches Ricardo Pereira and Viviane Cardoso, along with physiotherapist Igor Letra, represent Gávea on the coaching staff.

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Flamengo's gymnasium was chosen for the team's training because it is the most complete in Brazil today and features equipment identical to that used during the London Games. National team coordinator Georgette Vidor said the decision, made during the World Cup in Japan, was unanimous.

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"We talked about what the training would be like if we were to go to the test event, and everyone agreed that the activities would be concentrated in Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo has a new stage and a vaulting table with the same material that will be used in London (Gymnova)," explained Georgette Vidor.

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The men's team, buoyed by their unprecedented gold medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara in October, is heading to Arques, France, for acclimatization and training. Ten athletes have been selected to compete in the group of seven gymnasts representing Brazil in the test event. Brazil's coach, Renato Araújo, will accompany the athletes from Gávea.

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After completing their preparations in Rio de Janeiro, the selected athletes return to their respective states, and on the 26th, those competing in the test event travel to Ipswich, England, for an acclimatization period before the start of the competition. The men's team travels to London on the 07th. The tournament begins on the 08th and ends on the 18th, with artistic gymnastics scheduled until the 13th, and will be held at the North Greenwich Arena. Both teams return to Brazil on January 14th.

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