Flavia Saraiva: "Gymnastics is like air for me."
The Brazilian star is learning from the past as she bids to claim a first global medal at Tokyo 2020.
Artistic Gymnastics
Imagine your lifelong dream coming true. Now imagine it happening in front of all your family, friends and compatriots.
That's what made Brazilian gymnast Flavia Saraiva’s first Olympic Games at Rio 2016 extra special: she had the rare chance to compete in front of her home fans.
"I felt strong emotions, competing at an Olympic Games in my country… it’s a chance that few athletes have. I had this opportunity, and I was very happy," Saraiva told Olympic Channel during a visit to the Brazilian national training centre in February. "I was very young – 16 years old but I managed to the experience enjoy in the best way."
"Seeing 15,000, 16,000 people in the stands screaming my name - I won’t lie: my legs trembled but it was very good. I will take this experience for the rest of my life." - Flavia Saraiva
Starting out
Born in Rio, Saraiva had already made a name for herself ahead of those home Games.
At the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, Saraiva won floor exercise gold and was runner-up in the all-around and balance beam.
“I got it to enter in the Youth Olympic Games, and I won three medals. That was a very important moment for me,” the now 21-year-old said. “It was when I first appeared in the sport. It was when I first appeared in the Brazilian newspaper and I became a known person, and everybody started to know me.”
A year after her Youth Olympic success, she won four medals at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, including all-around bronze and silvers on beam and floor.
Her career, which started at eight years old when a cousin told her mother she should try gymnastics - "I was a very energetic child" - headed in a sky-rocketing trajectory that would take her to Rio with her idol: 2007 world all-around bronze medallist Jade Barbosa.
“I remember the first time that I trained with Jade,” Saraiva recalled, “I was looking at her and thinking ‘God, I’m with Jade Barbosa!’”
Fame in Rio
She and Barbosa helped Team Brazil finish eighth in the team competition in Rio.
Individually, Saraiva captivated the fans inside the Rio Olympic Arena as she finished fifth and just 0.200 away from the bronze medal in the balance beam final.
“It motivated me a lot because I saw everybody clapping, screaming my name, giving me strength saying that everything going to be all right,” Saraiva said. “There was an unreal energy that I never felt before in my life, and one that I hope to feel many times in the Olympic Games.”
Her results – and the attention that comes from hosting the Olympic Games – have made Saraiva famous in Brazil. She has nearly 650,000 followers on Instagram and knows that she now serves as inspiration to young gymnasts in her country.
"I always see the affection that people have, they always say, ‘Oh, I saw you and I support you!’
"I always appreciate it, I try to take photos with the most people I can because… when I see the smile in their faces, this is worth more than anything."
Disappointment in Stuttgart
As well as being a role model, Saraiva desperately wants to stand on the podium at the World Championships or Olympic Games.
She came painfully close in that Rio beam final four years ago, and was fourth on the floor exercise at last year’s Worlds in Stuttgart.
"I was very upset at the World Championships in Stuttgart. But, it was a learning experience for me. I know what I have to do. I know that I can win a medal.
"So I will go with all my blood, all my strength because that is what I train all day for."
Despite Saraiva just missing out on an individual medal and finishing seventh in the all-around at last year’s Worlds, the competition was devastating for her team-mates.
Having finished fifth in 2018, Brazil were confidently expected to be among the teams making Tokyo 2020.
Already without one of their stars, Rebeca Andrade, who tore her ACL at the Brazilian Championships earlier in the year, things got worse when Barbosa went down with an injury on vault in the opening rotation of qualification.
Brazil finished down in 14th place, missing out on Tokyo, with Saraiva her nation's sole Olympic qualifier.
"It was very hard for me,” Saraiva admitted. “Once the team competition ended, I just cried. I cried a lot.”
Determined to succeed
But her team-mates never left her side. It was quite the opposite, Saraiva said, as they encouraged her to stay positive and continue to compete – not just for herself – but for Brazil.
“They supported me until the very end,” she says. “I was never alone. They were with me all the time. When I went to train, they came to support me. When I went to compete, they were there.”
They’re with her still as she prepares for Tokyo 2020 – with hopes of joining her in Japan.
Andrade, now recovered, has posted impressive training videos on Instagram and could join Saraiva next summer with a top two finish at the Pan Am Championships. Barbosa has also resumed training.
For Saraiva, she’s targeting that elusive medal on the global stage. Regardless of the results in Tokyo, she plans to train on to Paris 2024, saying the sport is an essential part of her life.
"Gymnastics has taught me to be who I am, I owe it a lot. There’s a quote that motivates me a lot: ‘Gymnastics is like air for me, if I will not breathe, I will die so not doing gymnastics is the same as if I die.’ This is how I feel."