The red-and-black artistic gymnastics officially has three Olympic finalists for the 2017 season. Jade Barbosa, Flávia Saraiva and Rebeca Andrade renewed their contracts on Monday morning (13) and will continue wearing the Sacred Mantle this year, starting the first year of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle with the Red-and-Black shield on their chests. The gymnasts, who represented the country at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, renewed their contract with the Most Beloved in the presence of the vice-president of Olympic Sports, Alexandre Póvoa, and the director of the department, Marcelo Vido, in the traditional Sala Moreira Leite, in Gávea.

"Flamengo is extremely proud to renew the contracts of these three great Olympic finalists. More than representing our club, they will serve as role models and inspiration for the 450 artistic gymnastics students at the Sempre Flamengo Sports School, which continues to grow. We have just further modernized the Cláudio Coutinho gymnasium, which has already been completely renovated with new equipment. We hope to create a virtuous cycle for artistic gymnastics at our club until Tokyo 2020, a period during which we hope that idols will serve as role models for the development of new generations of champions. Flamengo will do its part to leverage and perpetuate the Olympic legacy. We expect the same from federations, confederations, and the Brazilian State, in favor of a stronger Olympic sport," said Alexandre Póvoa.

 

Luisa Parente, former Flamengo artistic gymnastics athlete and Land Sports manager, who was also present at the event, commented on the gymnasts' permanence at Flamengo and the importance of the girls in the red-black team.

 

"It's very gratifying to be able to renew with this select group of three Olympic finalists. It's very important to have a large group of gymnasts who participate and train together, because they end up supporting each other, and that's very important. They truly are the best in Brazil, so it's truly very gratifying, especially in a year when the country is in crisis. The trend is for the club and the sport to improve every year, and all our efforts are paying off to make that happen. Last week, for example, the club received the best and most modern gymnastics equipment available, thanks to the CBC. So now we have to roll up our sleeves and continue the work with future generations. Jade, Flávia, and Rebeca are also an example of perseverance, of training hard every day; they are truly a role model for the girls who are just starting out," said Luisa.

 

In addition to Jade, Flávia, and Rebeca, gymnasts Julie Kim, Letícia Costa, Isabelle Cruz, Maria Cecília, and Milena Theodoro also renewed their contracts with Mais Querido and continued representing the Gávea club in 2017. Julie, Letícia, Isabelle, Maria Cecília, and Milena, in addition to being Flamengo athletes, represent Brazil on the national team, and are responsible for the country's important international results in artistic gymnastics. Julie, for example, represented the country at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, winning a bronze medal in the team competition, and last year, she was part of the team that competed in the Pan American Games in Bolivia.

 

Flamengo, the 2016 Brazilian adult team champion, is a national leader in artistic gymnastics. Besides being one of the best venues in the country for artistic gymnastics, the Cláudio Coutinho gymnasium, which hosted two international delegations during the Rio Games, is also one of the best venues for the sport. Flamengo boasts Olympic-level gymnasts.