Flamengo got off to a good start at the 3rd SP Open Artistic Swimming event last Saturday (30), at Clube Paineiras do Morumby, in São Paulo (SP). Participating in the competition for the first time, the Mais Querido secured four gold and three silver medals, with the duo Renan Alcântara and Giovana Stephan, from Senior, and Ana Clara Almeida, from Infantil, shining in the pool at the São Paulo club.

Led by coach Roberta Perillier, coach of the Senior and Junior categories, Renan and Giovana delighted the crowd present at the event with two new duets of technical and free routine, climbing to the highest place on the podium in both events.

“Of all the duets we’ve swum, these two are the ones we feel the best in technically and artistically,” commented Renan just before the competition.

Ana Clara Almeida, coached by Marina Valadão and leading the Junior and Junior teams, took first place in the Junior floor event, while Giovana Stephan also won gold in the Senior technical floor event. The three silver medals for the Red-and-Black team went to Manuela de Menezes, in the Junior technical floor event and the Junior duet event, with Ana Clara and Eduarda Carrilho; and in the Senior absolute event, with Renan and Giovana. 

In 2017, the red-and-black duo formed Brazil's first mixed duet at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The red-and-blacks made history by finishing seventh in the competition, the best national swimming result in all editions.