From April 21st to 26th, the Fadel Fadel Aquatic Park, at Flamengo's headquarters in Gávea, will host Brazil's premier swimming competition: the Maria Lenk Championship. The tournament brings together the country's best swimmers and plays a key role in the national calendar, serving as a qualifier for important international events throughout the season, such as the World Championships, the Pan American Championships, the Pan Junior Championships, the Junior World Championships, and the South American tournaments.

Flamengo athlete and standout among the new generation of national swimming, Stephan Steverink reinforces the importance of the competition. 

"The importance of the Maria Lenk Championship is that it's the biggest Brazilian championship we have each year. It's usually the competition that qualifies us for international championships. So, it's the most important Brazilian competition, opening doors to the most important competitions worldwide."

The tournament also marks a special moment for the red-and-black athletes, who compete at home, in a pool they know like few others.

"Competing at home, I personally think it's really great because I know the pool like the back of my hand, I train in it every day, I know everything that goes on," says Stephan. "This is where my team and my club are. It's a lot more pressure, but I see it as a positive. You get more exposure, it's at home, so there's even more fans. And I think that's really great for the competition."

In the final stages of preparation, Flamengo athletes also spent time training and competing in the United States, one of the world's great swimming powers.

"This preparation was great because we not only swam with the best in the world, but also with the best facilities. We don't often achieve this kind of competitiveness in Brazil. This serves as motivation and preparation for bigger things," adds Stephan.

With free admission to the public, Maria Lenk promises some great competition. It's the Brazilian swimming elite in action—and Flamengo as the star on home soil.

Test schedule:

The swimming teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors Estácio and Instituto YDUQS – via the Federal Sports Incentive Law/Special Sports Secretariat (SEESP), in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources from the Pelé Law.