"The good son returns home." That's how Daniele Hypólito describes her return to Flamengo's artistic gymnastics. With five Olympics under her belt (Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, and Rio de Janeiro), the athlete needs no introduction. Trained at Gávea, she's back at the Cláudio Coutinho gymnasium and joins Flavia Saraiva, Jade Barbosa, Lorrane Oliveira, and Rebeca Andrade on the Flamengo team.

"I started my career as an athlete right here at Flamengo in 1995. It's always good to be back, back home. I've played for other clubs in Brazil, but I always feel good and at ease here. Besides being a Flamengo fan, my heart beats strong, so it's great to be back," said Dani. 

At 35, Daniele Hypolito is Brazil's most experienced active gymnast. She's been a leading figure in the sport since her early years, winning Brazil's first artistic gymnastics medal at the World Championships: silver on the floor exercise in Ghent, Belgium, in 2001. With Dani's return, the Mais Querido gymnastics team reunites with the team that represented the country at the 2016 Rio Games. 

The red-black team returned to Gávea on July 10th to resume in-person training at the club, after approximately four months of social isolation due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. For now, only the Senior team athletes are allowed to participate in activities.