From the guava tree to the Olympic beams: meet Flávia Saraiva, the jewel of artistic gymnastics

A phenomenon of Brazilian gymnastics, Flávia Saraiva is a woman to accompany in sports. At 15 years old, she enchanted everyone with her short height and a lot of flexibility when she stood out in the Youth Olympic Games in 2014. Since then, she has already collected two participations in the Olympics and several medals in World Cups. Know the story of the little (big) gymnast:

History

Flávia Lopes Saraiva was born in Rio de Janeiro, on September 30, 1999. From a humble family, she began her career in a social project in public schools at age 8. Her aunt, a physical education teacher, noticed that Flávia spent the day hanging from guava trees, doing pirouettes and even walking with her hands, realized that the girl had a talent. Thus, at the age of 11, living in Três Rios, in the interior of the state, she began to stand out in the youth championships.

professional trajectory

His first international competition was the Houston National Invitational in 2013, placing tenth in the all-around. In the same year, he participated in the Gymnasiade in Brazil and won gold medals on the floor and beam, and silver medals for teams. His great highlight came in 2014, when he won first place in the all-around and solo individual at the Junior Pan American Championships.

His 2014 achievements secured his spot for the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. There, she won three medals: gold on the floor, silver in the all-around and silver on the beam. In addition, she replaced teammate Rebeca Andrade at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, and won the silver medal in the all-around and beam, and gold on the floor. From 2015, she started to compete professionally and, since then, she has collected more than 10 medals in stages of the World Cup.

Importance for Brazilian sport: an Olympic prodigy

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Flávia Saraiva was the shortest athlete, measuring 1.33 m at the time. A medal hope, with her size and charisma, she became a phenomenon in the Olympic Village (athletes’ accommodation), collecting photos with athletes and committee members. Wherever she went, carrying a backpack her size, Flávia drew attention.

She is currently followed by over a million people on her Instagram account. At Rio 2016, she attracted thousands of people to the stands. Flávia was in fifth place, but the great star Simone Biles said that the athlete deserved the bronze medal. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she suffered an injury in the qualifiers and, even though she qualified, she finished seventh on the beam.

With 12 cm more, the strength acquired and the discipline of training, the athlete is a Brazilian promise. She remains the usual Flavinha, captivating, inspiring and paving the way for other women who dream of Olympic Gymnastics.

10 facts about Flavinha

Discover the curiosities surrounding the little gem of the Brazilian gymnastics team:

1. She is 1.45 m tall

Despite having emerged at the age of 15 at 1.33 m, Flávia has grown since then and is currently 1.45 m tall. She is still a little smaller than her teammates, Rebeca Andrade and Lorrane dos Santos.

2. Success in the Rio 2016 Olympics

With her size and great charisma, Flávia became a celebrity in the Olympic Village. Volleyball athletes took pictures with the gymnast, comparing their heights, and affectionately she became known as Flavinha. In this competition, she did not win medals, but she won her place in the hearts of Brazilians.

3. Leader of the Brazilian team in the team competition in Lima 2019

Gymnastics veteran Jade Barbosa suffered a sprained left knee on the eve of the Pan-American Games in Lima. Flávia was chosen to lead the team, which won the bronze medal. She also won bronze in the all-around and solo individual.

4. Two-time Olympic finalist on beam

Qualified for the beam finals in the two Olympics in which she competed, Flávia reached fifth place in Rio 2016 and seventh in Tokyo 2020.

5. Has a tattoo with Rebeca Andrade

The two Brazilian gymnastics sensations share an apartment, are part of the same team, Flamengo, have a matching tattoo and share the same love for the sport.

6. When you’re not training, you’re at the beach

On her Instagram account, she shares her training routine at Flamengo and how she enjoys her free time: enjoying the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

7. Has an infectious smile

One of the outstanding features is her beautiful smile and the contagious personality of Flávia. She herself said in an interview with Giovana Pinheiro, on the website Olímpiads Todo Dia: “people say: ‘Flávia, concentrate’. I’m laughing, joking. I think that’s me, and I have to stay that way. I am Flavinha and I will continue to be that way forever”.

8. Ambassador of the Brazilian School Games 2021

The Brazilian School Games are the biggest youth competition in the country and they work as a way of encouraging sport. As there was no edition in 2020, due to the pandemic, in 2021, several athletes, such as Giba, Serginho, André Domingos and Flávia, were invited to participate.

9. She is the first to arrive at training and the last to leave

Since she started training, the athlete has been the first to arrive at the gym and the last to leave. All this effort can be witnessed in her performance.

10. 4x Ground Gold Medalist

Since her World Cup debut, she has already collected gold medals on the floor in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. In addition to two golds, in 2016, on beam, and for teams, in 2019.

The 1.45 m carioca still promises to compete in several World Cups and bring her smile to other Olympic Games. How about reading more about another “short” of the sport, the skater Rayssa Leal?