USOC, Cielo's Flamengo Reach Agreement on Pre-Olympic Training Camp

Special thanks to Brazilian correspondent D’Artagnan Dias for contributing to this report

Just before, and during, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, the USOC will send it’s men’s and women’s swim teams (along with basketball, judo, and tennis teams) to train at Cesar Cielo’s Flamengo athletic club.

The club, which has full aquatic, tennis, and gymnasium facilities, is located in the wealthy Gavea neighborhood in southern Rio. The club is roughly 15 miles from the main region of the Olympic Games where the swimming competitions will be held.

As a part of the agreement, Brazilian coaches and athletes will be able to spend time training in the United States with the only cost to them being air fare. Among the upgrades that the club plans to spend the $1 million dollars that they are receiving from the deal on is new starting blocks for the outdoor 50-meter pool.

Flamengo is the home club of some of Brazil’s greatest swimmers, including World Record holder Cesar Cielo, former Michigan Wolverine Andre Schulz, Henrique Barbosa, Henrique Rodrigues, Leonardo de Deus, and Nicholas dos Santos. For those who prefer to reach a bit further back into swimming history, it is also the former club of Brazilian swimming legends Maria Lenk, Fernando Scherer, Ricardo Prado and Mariana Brochado.