Flamengo has been well represented in recent weeks at major international competitions. The red-and-black squad began its journey abroad with nine representatives at the World Aquatics Championships as part of the Brazilian national team, and soon after, provided six athletes for the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Days after returning to Brazil, Flamengo coach Roberta Perillier discusses the CRF team's next steps.

"We returned to Brazil on August 12th with the girls who participated in both competitions. Since I had the opportunity to go this time and the rest of the coaching staff didn't, I came back with a general, yet concise, practical, and objective overview of what we need to do at Flamengo for the upcoming competitions, and I changed a few things within our training criteria and methodologies," says Beta. 

Regarding the planning of competitions until the end of the year, the coach points out.

"We'll compete in the Campeonato Carioca, the Argentina Open, where we'll be competing with Flamengo in an international competition for the first time, with all categories, and the Brazilian Open. We'll close the year with the tryouts, because we don't have a guaranteed spot, and every year all athletes are required to undergo a new evaluation to make the team," he explains.

Beta also says that the impact of having the world's best athletes at the World Championships and the Pan American Games made her aware of the strengths and weaknesses that deserve attention at Mais Querido. Like any high-performance team, adjustments must be made constantly to get ever closer to excellence. 

"I believe that competitions help athletes and coaches grow. We (the team) have already discussed, developed new strategies, and will introduce many more assessments to improve our technical level. We also talk a lot about the physical aspect in the water, to increase our overall technical and physical capabilities, because they are very similar in artistic swimming; they blend together, making it difficult to separate them, but they are not the same. At the beginning of this week, we already initiated a different idea for the group, and I believe we will continue to grow as a team," emphasizes the multi-champion coach.  

2019 is an important year for Flamengo and, consequently, for Brazil, as most of the athletes on the Brazilian swimming team are loaned by Flamengo. According to Beta, it will be a preparatory year for important competitions, such as the South American Championship, the Junior World Championship, and the highly anticipated Tokyo Olympics. 

"I think we're truly a unique club in every structural sense. I'm not talking about the number of bathrooms or pools, for example, but rather the artistic swimming experience. Today, I can access, request, and receive assistance. So, Flamengo is a differentiator in artistic swimming, and its development, technical quality, and potential for excellence, being a great trainer for the Brazilian National Team, will consequently ensure that the team is better served. The Brazilian National Team doesn't make athletes; it prepares them for a specific competition, but we, the clubs, are the great catalysts for developing athletes," she concludes.