For the uninitiated, one of the most striking moments in a synchronized swimming competition is probably when the team performs a "lift," where the athlete lifts her body completely out of the water, with the help of her teammates. They can simply stand up completely or go a little further, with breathtaking jumps and acrobatics. Flamengo's Official Website delved into this fundamental and explains its different types.

 Platform: In this type of lift, one athlete stands on another, which serves as a base, like a floor, for their partner to climb out of the water. The other swimmers stand under the platform and, together, support the lift. In this type of lift, the platform athlete lies in the water, facing away from the one on top.

 Stake: It is a type of platform, but the difference is that the platform athlete can have their body vertical, in the same way as the person being lifted.

 Jump: In this type of lift, the swimmer is projected from their base, leaping into the air. This movement allows them to perform a greater number of acrobatic maneuvers. This type of lift can reach the greatest height above the waterline.

 

Lifts are not mandatory in swimming events, but they do count as a degree of difficulty. There are several types of difficulty in a choreography, and combining them all within the maximum time allowed for the performance is the sport's greatest challenge. For example, in the case of a lift with a jump, the judges will evaluate the height reached by the athlete. At the same time, if the jump is not executed well or a pole falls, valuable points are lost. Therefore, the lift is a very risky gamble. There is only one exception to this requirement: the Senior team's Technical Routine, where only one execution of the fundamental at any point in the choreography is permitted. To give you a better idea, in 2016, the year Flamengo won the Brazilian synchronized swimming championship, the Senior team's Free Routine performed six lifts and five hybrids (another difficulty fundamental) in the same performance.

 

And speaking of competitions, the Flamengo Juvenil and Junior girls are making the final adjustments to their choreography for the South American Aquatics Championships, which will take place between April 18th and 29th in Colombia. This Friday (21), Jullia Catharino, Jaddy Milla and Maria Luiza Fonseca will perform at Maria Lenk (RJ) in their last training session, while Laura Miccuci, Gabriela Regly and Rafaela Catharino, the latter Junior athletes, will make the final adjustments in São Paulo on Saturday (22). The red-blacks are already packing their bags for the trip and will embark this Sunday (23) to the city of Cali. They will represent Brazil in the event.

The synchronized swimming teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, and EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR), as well as support from the Brazilian Committee of Clubs (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources generated by the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro (Red-Black Guardian Angel Project), a tax transfer for individuals, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved Club.