All Is Well That Ends Well in Brazil

Today we have two Brazilian updates for you, one regarding the goings-on in Rio de Janeiro, and another one regarding the injuries of some of the country's top gymnasts. Let's start with the latest developments in Rio de Janeiro...

As some of you may have learned from other sources, the financial crisis at the Flamengo sports club, which threatened to leave Diego and Daniele Hypólito and Jade Barbosa without a place to work out, was averted at the last minute. According to this January 26 UOL Esporte article, Flamengo's elite gymnastics program will continue to exist, thanks to the generosity of the city of Niterói, a Rio de Janeiro suburb. Reportedly the Niterói authorities will inject R$80,000 (nearly US$35,000) per month into Flamengo's gymnastics program. In exchange, the Hypólitos and Barbosa will take part in the city's projects to stimulate local kids to get involved in the sport. Now that's what we call an excellent deal...


Happy again: Diego Hypolito (photo: Lydia Gismondi/Globoesporte)

That is not all, though.

According to this February 3 Globoesporte article, the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation may get a new training center in Rio de Janeiro. As those of you who have been following our Brazilian news for a while are aware, the old center in Curitiba (the seat of the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation) was closed last year after a coaching scandal. Now the Brazilian Olympic Committee and Rio de Janeiro State University are in talks to open a new training center on the university campus. If the plans go through, the center will be equipped with the apparatus used at the 2007 Pan-American Games, which is currently in a storage facility owned by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. The establishment of the new training center is a response to the recent crisis at Flamengo, and part of Rio de Janeiro's campaign to raise its profile to further its bid for the 2016 Olympics. Presumably, the facility will be used for pre-meet training camps rather than on a permanent basis. Either way, one more fully equipped training center in Rio won't hurt...

Diego Hypolito: "Flamengo Gymnastics Is a Thing of the Past"

Things continue to be highly unsettled in Rio de Janeiro, where a distraught Diego Hypolito left a meeting with Flamengo President Marcio Braga on Friday saying, "Flamengo gymnastics is a thing of the past. It was a huge blow for me, in a year in which I was supposed to rise from the ashes."

Diego, his sister Daniele and Jade Barbosa met with Braga on Friday to discuss the future of the elite gymnastics program at Flamengo, one of Brazil's foremost multi-sport clubs. According to Globoesporte, the trio were told by Braga that he wasn't telling anyone to leave, but did not have the means to renew contracts. "We have run out of money. We cannot sign contracts that we cannot fulfill," stated Braga, who blames the global economic crisis for the situation. The only solution, he said, would be the arrival of new sponsors or public funds.


Diego Hypolito, Daniele Hypolito, and Jade Barbosa with Marcio Braga
(photo: Globoesporte)

According to other Globoesporte and UOL Esporte articles, Braga once again blamed the Brazilian Olympic Committee (which receives 2 percent of the revenues of the national lottery) for not doing enough to solve the crisis at Flamengo. "We are going through a crisis, but the resources are there," Braga stated, referring to the fortune the Brazilian Olympic Committee recently received to strengthen Rio de Janeiro's candidacy for the 2016 Olympics. "If part of those resources were made available to us, the athletes wouldn't be so unhappy today." He went on to say, "The current system cannot continue. It's a crime against society and the practice of sports."

According to Braga, the directors of Brazil's leading sports clubs (including Pinheiros, where Daiane dos Santos and Lais Souza train) will meet with the Brazilian Minister of Sport on February 4 to find a financial solution to the crisis.

After the meeting with Braga, Daniele Hypolito was quick to point out that the gymnasts still had a month to figure out what to do. However, it was obvious that her brother Diego was not inclined to wait. "I've been cast adrift. Unfortunately, we will have to start looking for a new club. We have places to go, but all I really wanted was to stay here at Flamengo. I don't have much time. I've lost my sponsors. I'm a professional. I don't want things to be like they were in the past, when I didn't have anything to eat," said the double world champion on floor, who reportedly hasn't received his wages for three months and has lost his other sources of income as well.

Apparently Diego told UOL Esporte that he and Daniele had already found a new place to train, but refused to disclose where it was. One of the options would be the new gymnastics club Flamengo's traditional rival Botafogo has offered to set up for the gymnasts in a shed adjacent to the club's stadium. Alternatively it might be an existing top club, like Pinheiros. However, that would require a move from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo, and we are not sure the Hypolitos are prepared to do that.

To be continued...

Jade Barbosa and Hypolito Siblings Lose Club Contracts

It's official: Brazilian sports club Flamengo has axed its elite gymnastics program. According to Globoesporte, Flamengo President Marcio Braga announced on Wednesday that the club, most famous for its highly successful soccer program, will eliminate several of its elite sports programs, keeping only its rowing and basketball programs (and soccer, we presume). The Vice-President of the club, Delair Dumbrosck, has confirmed that the contracts of the club's three most famous gymnasts - Diego Hypolito, Daniele Hypolito and Jade Barbosa - will not be renewed, leaving the trio without a club to train at and largely without an income. Needless to say, the gymnastics-mad Brazilian media are all over the story.


Diego and Daniele Hypolito (photo: Jasmin Schneebeli-Wochner/Gymbox)

Globoesporte reports that Diego Hypolito wants to meet with Flamengo President Marcio Braga to discuss the matter. He is dismayed at having to hear about the club's plans from the media, and has asked for a personal meeting with Flamengo's President. "I want to meet Marcio Braga. In all my years at the club, I've only spoken to him a few times. It's bad to have to hear things from the media."

Hypolito has even thought of a way to help the club raise funds for its gymnastics program. "There are many ways in which Flamengo could market the Diego Hypolito brand name. If they want to make a club doll to sell, that's fine with me. If that's what it takes to keep my sport afloat, I'm obviously willing to help," Hypolito was quoted as saying.

We're not sure whether he is referring to an action figure or a doll, but we assume it's the latter - probably something like this Flamengo merchandise doll, only with his name on it.



The floor specialist also told Globoesporte: "I'm a double world champion and I know I shouldn't have to be worried about such contract matters. I'm doing my bit, but I'm dependent on sponsors. OK, I did not become Olympic champion, but that's not the end of the world, is it? I know that Flamengo's financial situation hasn't been good for years, but I should do better in 2009."

For her part, Diego's sister Daniele laments the fact that the club's officials aren't communicating with the gymnasts. According to Globoesporte, Daniele has yet to hear an official confirmation of her status from the club, having been informed of the non-renewal of her contract by the media rather than by club officials.

"Flamengo will last for years, but officials go by," Daniele was quoted as saying. "I think they should participate more in the active lives of the athletes. You can't make budget cuts without talking to people. They should speak to the athletes before doing these things," Daniele told Globoesporte.

Daniele also feels the club should be more grateful to the gymnasts who have won it acclaim over the last decade, such as Diego, Jade and herself. "I'm grateful to everyone at Flamengo, but I can't work for love alone."

Thankfully, Daniele is not entirely dependent on the club for her income. She also has a personal sponsor who pays her as much as Flamengo does.


Jade Barbosa (left) with the emblem of her club, Flamengo (photo: Globoesporte)

Meanwhile, Jade Barbosa's father, César Barbosa, says that the non-renewal of his daughter's contract indicates "a lack of respect for the athletes" on the part of the Brazilian Olympic Committee.

According to Globoesporte, Mr. Barbosa was quick to remind reporters that the Brazilian Olympic Committee receives 2 percent of the revenues of the federal lotteries. He feels that some of that money should be made available to major multi-sport clubs like Flamengo, which currently receive no support from the Olympic Committee, although they produce a large percentage of Brazil's athletes.

"The Brazilian Olympic Committee is showing a lack of respect for our athletes," said Mr. Barbosa. "Artistic gymnastics has grown over the last few years and the Olympic Committee needs to adopt a more affectionate attitude toward it. It is not right that we, with three world-level gymnasts like Diego, Jade and Daniele, should find ourselves in this position. All the other gymnasts in the world are already training for the London Olympics, but without any incentive to train, [our athletes] will of necessity lag behind," said Mr. Barbosa

He hopes the club will find a way to keep the gymnasts. "Even with its problems, Flamengo is still the ideal club for the gymnasts. It has room, equipment and coaches to provide for the athletes' needs."

Interesting Developments in Brazil

First of all, Globoesporte reports that the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation has canceled the selection camp for artistic and rhythmic gymnasts and trampolinists that was supposed to take place at Curitiba, January 26-28. What with several of their top gymnasts (Daiane dos Santos, Lais Souza, Jade Barbosa) being injured and others (like Diego Hypolito) simply refusing to show up, the Federation must have felt it was no use holding the camp. No new date for a selection camp has been set yet.


Diego Hypolito (photo: Reuters)

Secondly, it seems that Jade Barbosa and the Hypolito siblings may not have to leave Rio de Janeiro after all if their club, Flamengo, does indeed go through with the planned closure of its elite gymnastics program. In an interesting turn of events, the new Olympic sports coordinator of another famous Rio de Janeiro sports club, Botafogo (like Flamengo, best known for its superb soccer team), has offered to set up a training center in a large shed adjacent to the club's Engenhão Stadium. The Botafogo coordinator, Miguel Ângelo da Luz, told Globoesporte that he would try to obtain the equipment used at the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, which is currently stored by the Brazilian Olympic Committee. He also stated that Botafogo was not trying to steal gymnasts from its traditional rival, but merely trying to help out. We'll be interested to
see how that pans out...

World Cup Final: A Few Responses

Earlier we gave you some Dutch reactions to the team's mixed fortunes at the World Cup Final. We thought we'd post some other responses from around the globe as well...

Women


Lauren Mitchell

Beam winner Lauren Mitchell made a few headlines in Australia: "Aussie gymnast makes history in Madrid" (Sydney Morning Herald) and "Lauren Mitchell beaming in triumph" (Daily Telegraph), among others. Mitchell's local newspaper Perth Now wrote a nice piece about her in which the head of her club, Liz Chetkovich (also Australia's national gymnastics TV commentator) said Mitchell's result was simply exceptional. "For Lauren to win a World Cup final against such a strong field confirms that she is an outstanding world-class gymnast," Chetkovich said. "She's shown incredible character to bounce back from the disappointment of not making the beam final in Beijing to make the podium six times during the World Cup season. Last night's result just caps it all off."

Mitchell herself is still to comment on her recent success.

According to Globoesporte, Daniele Hypolito and her coach, Ricardo Pereira, were disappointed after the beam final. "[Daniele] did well in warmup. Everything looked normal," said Pereira. "But in the competition, she didn't make her three-element mount and fell. And Dani needed to stick that mount to have medal chances." Hypolito normally mounts beam with a difficult roundoff - layout - ff- layout to two feet combination.


Daniele Hypolito during the mount that cost her a medal (photo: UOL Esporte)

Despite her disaster on bars and her disappointing result on beam (she would have medaled if she hadn't missed her mount), Daniele Hypolito herself felt she had done "reasonably well" in the tournament. "The year is nearly over and I didn't obtain excellent results. But I'll be back in 2009, different and better, with an eye to the next Olympics," Daniele said. She emphasized that she has no retirement plans for the time being: "I'm not going to retire yet. The new Code of Points is in my favor, so I'll be able to go on firm and strong until 2012," Hypolito said.

In Romania, a tired-looking Sandra Izbasa, who was beaten to the floor gold by Cheng Fei and Jiang Yuyuan, reportedly said after the floor final: "I knew I wasn't going to win after each pass I did, but it's important to know how to lose with a smile on your face. I'm not at all upset. I'll be the Olympic champion on floor for the next four years and that's what matters to me."

In Belgium, bronze medalist Aagje Vanwalleghem, who has suffered many serious injuries over the last few years and has just recovered from a major knee injury, told Sporza that she was very pleased with the vaults she had shown at the World Cup Final.

"I'm glad and relieved that I can still perform as well as this after such a long recovery period," said Vanwalleghem. "I think you can say I'm back, both physically and mentally. It took a long time for my knee to heal completely, but now I can vault well again."


Aagje Vanwalleghem won the bronze on vault in Madrid (photo: Belga)

Vanwalleghem also said she's working on more difficult vaults, but doesn't want to become a vault specialist. "I'd like to stay an all-around gymnast, so I'm not going to specialize on one event just yet," she said. "Also because it's easier for an all-arounder to qualify for the Olympics." Vanwalleghem, who competed in Athens but missed Beijing because of her knee injury, has her heart set on London 2012.

Men

The French media hardly had anything to say about Thomas Bouhail and Yann Cucherat's gold medals in Madrid. A quick "So Beijing wasn't an accident, after all" in L'Equipe and "Congratulations!" on the FFG's website was all the boys got for their gold-medal-winning efforts. Way to make your athletes feel appreciated, guys.


Thomas Bouhail (photo: Volker Minkus/FIG)

As to the Brazilian media, we've already posted Diego Hypolito's ecstatic response to his gold medal on floor. According to Globoesporte, Hypolito was "more than satisfied" with his sixth-place finish on vault, as well: "I think I did well in my two vaults and I'm more than satisfied with my making the final on this event. My main objective was to do well on floor, and I did just that. I'm leaving Madrid with the feeling of having fulfilled my duty," Hypolito said.

He also announced changes for next year: "Next year I'll make a few small changes. Perhaps I'll do a more difficult Hypolito, with a few added touches. We'll see. First I'm going to make the most of my vacation." We guess that will be the upcoming trip to Disney World (with his sister Daniele and Jade Barbosa) he announced earlier.


Diego Hypolito (center) on the medal stand with Kohei Uchimura and Alexander Shatilov

We'll post the Chinese reactions to their World Cup successes in a separate entry, and we hope at some point to be able to post some Russian responses as well.

Triple Full Presents: A Gymnast Who Is NOT Injured

A day after confirming that Jade Barbosa is on the right track recoverywise, Globoesporte posted a story about Jade's clubmate Daniele Hypolito, Brazil's first ever world medalist. It doesn't contain any earth-shattering news, but we thought we'd post it anyway. For more information on Daniele's 2012 plans, check out this entry.


Daniele Hypolito in Beijing (photo: Julie Jacobson/AP Photo)

For London 2012, Daniele Hypolito is ignoring the controversies, focusing on muscle-building exercises instead

At age 24, the gymnast says she's more mature and ready for marathon workouts

Daniele Hypolito has left the time of controversies behind her. At age 24, she is training side by side with Jade Barbosa at Flamengo every day, but she doesn't want to get involved in her friend's problems with the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation. The gymnast, who has a history of quarrels with the Federation herself, has set her eyes on one goal only: To train hard so that she can vie for a spot on the London 2012 team.

"I train with Jade all the time, but I'm not part of what's going on. If I want to make the 2012 team, I mustn't get involved in those things. I've had my share of fights with the Federation, but today I feel super," says Daniele.

According to Daniele, her discretion in relation to the Federation is the fruit of maturity. The athlete, who left the national team in Curitiba in 2005 due to arguments with the Ukrainian head coach Oleg Ostapenko, is adopting a different attitude to her training, which will be even stricter from now on.

"I'll have to remain twice as focused as the other girls, and deal carefully with injuries. I'll be in a different stage as an athlete. If the other girls don't do any muscle-building exercises, they won't have any problems. I, on the other hand, do have to be worried about that, and must keep an eye on my weight."

However, one of the main reasons why Daniele is so different now was her change of air. In May 2008, the gymnast left the national team in Curitiba again - a decision which this time did not lead to any arguments with the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation - to return to Flamengo. At the Rio de Janeiro club she met up once more with Ricardo Pereira, a coach with a style rather different from Oleg Ostapenko's.


Daniele and coach Ricardo Pereira (photo: Globoesporte)

"When he has something to tell me, he always calls me into a corner. He never tells me off in front of the younger girls. When he looks at me, he already knows how I'm feeling," says the athlete, who is counting on her genetics and "healthy spirit" to stay on the national team.

"I've always been lucky when it comes to injuries. Mentally I'm prepared for the training. As to my body, I'll prepare that over the next few years."

Best of luck with that, Daniele. Stay injury-free, will you?

Flamengo Talk

After all that stuff about the DTB Cup and injuries, we feel it's incumbent on us to resume our reporting on the Brazilian team. Because, you know, they have injuries too!

The latter sentence would probably be funny if it weren't so hideously true. But unfortunately it's all too true.

Let's start with Jade Barbosa, shall we? According to Globoesporte, Jade didn't recover from her "renal crisis" (read: kidney stones) last week, so the scheduled MRI of her hand didn't happen. She's now scheduled to have it tomorrow. We hope she can actually undergo the examination this time, and that the results won't be too depressing.


Jade Barbosa (photo: Reuters)
Meanwhile, some rather alarming news has reached us concerning the anti-inflammatory drug with which Jade claims the Federation overdosed her during the Olympics and the preceding months, Prexige. Our reader D informed us that Prexige was banned in Brazil a while ago for causing serious liver damage. So we looked into it, and it turns out it has actually been banned in a lot of places. See, for instance, this notice by the Australian government, released over a year ago (!). It's an urgent medicine recall in which Prexige is listed as a Class I drug, which means that its defects are "potentially life-threatening" or could cause "a serious risk to health." Prexige comes in three formulations: 100mg, 200mg, and 400mg. Jade claims she took two or three 400mg tablets a day for several months. She's obviously still alive, but we shudder to think what damage the medicine might have done to her liver.

Try to put yourself in Jade Barbosa's shoes now. You're suffering from a potentially career-threatening hand injury, a foot injury, and kidney stones, and on top of that you have to wonder whether the pills your team doctor prescribed to you might have damaged your liver...? It's all a bit much, really. We haven't always been fans of Jade, but right now we're sending good vibes her way like you wouldn't believe. She obviously needs them harder than Ksenia Semyonova and Anna Pavlova combined. And we're saying that with all the love in our Ksenia-and-Anna-adoring hearts.

As for the MRI, we'll keep you posted.


Jade Barbosa (photo: Reuters)
Meanwhile, Jade's teammates at Flamengo, Diego and Daniele Hypolito, aren't exactly leading dull lives either. They were at the DTB Cup last weekend, baffling spectators and critics alike by being, well, less than stellar. Heidemarie even gave Diego a tongue-lashing for throwing a simple double twist dismount on floor after a press to handstand had gone awry, thus ruining his chances of a gold medal.

Turns out poor Diego actually had an excuse. He is - you've guessed it - injured. He's suffering a bad backache, and only went to Stuttgart because he wanted to make sure he'd qualify to the World Cup Final. He scored just enough points to do so on both floor and vault, but it wasn't easy. "In my floor exercise I tried to do a compulsory strength and balance element called an 'inverted cross,'" said the 2005 and 2007 world champion. "I didn't manage the first time around because it hurt so much, but my second attempt was successful."

And here we were giving him a hard time for throwing a double twist after that. Our apologies, Diego.


The coolest picture of Diego Hypolito you'll ever find
Meanwhile, Diego's sister Daniele (who just competed in her first individual final since the 2007 Pan-American Games) is busy making plans for the future. Although she's 24, she's by no means ready to retire yet. We're guessing that means that she, for one, is not nursing any serious injuries. Knock on wood.

According to Daniele, she wasn't planning to go to Germany last week, but when the other girls withdrew from the competition, she decided to make it part of her plans for - yes, we're getting to it - London 2012.

"After four years and all the effort I put into going to the Beijing Olympics, I didn't expect to be in great shape now. I decided, pretty much at the last minute, to compete here in Stuttgart to show everyone, especially myself, that I am an active gymnast and that I can still be competitive in the sport."


Daniele Hypolito (photo: Reuters)
She's thinking of changing the way she trains, though. "Until Beijing, I always strove to be a complete gymnast, to do the all-around, to do all four events. Now I believe I'll only be able to do that for one or two more years, tops. For 2012, I'll do my best to become a specialist, to prioritize one or two events."

She's not sure yet what those one or two events will be, but she's sure specializing is the way to go. "I'm old, so I'll have to be very good on one apparatus and secure on another one if I'm to help the team," Daniele said last weekend.

Interestingly, Daniele doesn't seem to be involved in the row that her teammates Jade, Daiane, and Lais are having with the Brazilian Gymnastics Federation. "I'm training with Jade at Flamengo, but I'm staying out of this dispute between the Federation and the girls," Daniele said last weekend. "I don't even want to get involved in the election of the new president of the Federation [in December]. I only want to show people my gymnastics."

According to certain sources, Daniele has actually reprehended her teammate Jade for criticizing the Federation. This is all the more remarkable since Daniele has been reported to have had a few clashes with the Federation herself over the last ten years.


Daniele and Jade at the Beijing Olympics (photo: Reuters)
Next up: a post about the Sao Paulo girls, Daiane dos Santos and Lais Souza. Because they're injured too, and because Daiane's injury is actually kind of interesting. Stay tuned.