The British Olympic Association has partnered with Clube de Regatas do Flamengo in order to use their facilities during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in August.
Flamengo is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, best known for their football (soccer) team, one of the most successful in the nation. The sports club also fields basketball, rowing, gymnastics, judo, volleyball, and water polo teams. However, to our readers, Flamengo is probably best known for its swim club, where Brazilian superstar Cesar Cielo swam from 2010 until the club decided to cut its senior program in 2012. Other swimmers who have represented Flamengo include Leonardo de Deus, Henrique Barbosa, Nicholas de Santos, Joao de Lucca, Joanna Maranhao, Daynara de Paula, Maria Lenk, Fernando Scherer, Ricardo Prado, and Mariana Brochado.
The contract also provides funding to exchange technical committees at events in Brazil and Europe. The agreement between the British Olympic Association and Flamengo began two years ago with a partnership involving the two groups’ rowing teams, when British athletes held a camp at Flamengo’s Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
The U.S. Olympic Committee has already signed a similar contract with Flamengo, and will also use their facilities during the Games.