Flamengo will have seven representatives in the Brazilian Artistic Gymnastics Trophy, which will take place from May 18th to 22nd in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. They are: Olympic champion Rebeca Andrade, Flavia Saraiva, Jade Barbosa, Maria Eduarda Montesino, Hellen Vitória, Gabriela Bouças, and Diogo Soares. The national competition marks the red-and-blacks' first match of the 2022 season.

"It's a competition where most clubs bring their top athletes to the individual events. It's a way to showcase the best athletes on each apparatus. This time, we won't be going with all the girls, but we're going for a lot of medals for Flamengo," explained technical coordinator Georgette Vidor.

The biggest star in the sport today, Olympic champion Rebeca Andrade, will be competing in the colors of Mengão.

"I'm very happy to be a reference in the country. I trained for many years for this, and being able to carry the name of our gymnastics and Flamengo throughout Brazil and the world is a great joy," said Rebeca.

Her teammate, Jade Barbosa, believes that the Brazil Trophy is an excellent opportunity to test series and new elements.

"It's the first competition of the year and always generates anticipation. At the same time, it's a great way to evaluate ourselves and see how we're doing individually," he added.

The red-black team in Porto Alegre will feature three gymnasts who have just moved up to the adult category – Gabriela Bouças, Hellen Vitória and Maria Eduarda Montesino.

"It's an honor for us to compete alongside someone we've always seen as a role model. It's a great joy, and we'll do our best to represent the club alongside these greats," Montesino assured.

Another standout for the red-and-black team at the Brazil Trophy is Diogo Soares. The gymnast, a finalist in Tokyo, will make his debut wearing the Mais Querido jersey.

"It's going to be my first time, and you never forget your first time, right?" he joked. "I'll try to perform the exercises as well as possible. I trained hard, prepared for this competition, and I hope to achieve the results in my debut for Flamengo," he concluded.

The qualifying phase of the Brazil Trophy begins on Wednesday (18) and runs until Friday (20). The apparatus finals are scheduled for the weekend.