Flamengo's artistic gymnastics team remains strong for the 2018 season. Flávia Saraiva, Jade Barbosa, Lorrane Oliveira and Rebeca Andrade renewed their contracts with the Mais Querido on Friday afternoon (2). The signing was attended by president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, vice-president of Olympic Sports, Alexandre Póvoa, and the director of the department, Marcelo Vido. Just like the signing of judoka Sarah Menezes and, recently, basketball player Anderson Varejão, the renewal with the athletes, who were part of the team that competed in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, is part of the Inspiration 2020/2024 project - Idol creates homegrown star, which aims to further strengthen the Mais Querido's Olympic sports.
"We've managed to keep the club's top athletes, not only from Flamengo, but from all over Brazil. Artistic gymnastics is a very traditional sport at the club, and for the third or fourth year now, we've been consolidating a top-tier, high-level team, as part of our strategy of making the sport sustainable. We've managed to renovate the entire gymnasium, and today, Claudio Coutinho is one of the largest artistic gymnastics centers in Brazil. We also have CUIDAR participating in the development of the athletes, so it's only natural that Flamengo has a top-tier team," said Póvoa. "It's part of the club's larger Olympic sports project. Artistic gymnastics already had this team, which continues to be maintained and joins basketball, aquatics, judo, volleyball, and rowing, completing Flamengo's eight Olympic sports, which, starting in 2018, will feature high-performance athletes at the forefront. We're very happy and hope that the arrival of these athletes, above all, will help develop the schools and encourage the younger generation so that, in the future, new Flávias, Jades, Rebecas, and Lorranes will be created here."
Coach of Flamengo's senior artistic gymnastics team, Ângelo Sabino also commented on the importance of continuing to count on the red-and-black athletes.
"They are Olympic gymnasts, practically the entire team that went to Rio 2016, so they have incredible experience, incredible quality, and they add a lot to the team," said the coach.
Flamengo's land sports manager, Luisa Parente, celebrated the renewal of the contract with the athletes.
"It's a great joy for us. It's proof that the club's commitment to Olympic sports, historically, is real, true, and lasting. This is very good for us, for the entire artistic gymnastics community, for Rio gymnastics, and for the red-and-black team, which also has a phenomenal history," commented the former gymnast.
Flamengo's artistic gymnastics team's main commitment this year is the Brazilian Team Championship in May. Flavia, Jade, and Rebeca are training for the national team to qualify for the World Championship, the Brazilian team's ultimate goal.
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.