Flamengo, once one of the most successful and well-known swim clubs in Brazil, is planning to build a new R$4 million (R$ stands for Brazil’s currency, the real) facility in an effort to return to its former elite status.
Globo.com’s SporTV reports that the pool will be a state-of-the-art Myrtha pool, much like the ones used for nearly every major competition over the past few years, including the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and the 2013 and 2014 World Championships, among many others.
That amount of 4 million reais converts to just under $1.5 million in U.S. dollars.
Flamengo was once the home club for such Brazilian icons as Cesar Cielo, Nicholas Santos and Leonardo de Deus. But there was an exodus from the club in 2012 as the old pool was condemned by engineers and the club had problems gaining sponsorships, according to SporTV.
The new pool, though, appears to be the first step in the direction of reviving Flamengo to its former status as a national powerhouse.
Cielo has bounced around some in his training locales since leaving Flamengo in 2012. He was recently training in the United States, but moved back to Brazil last spring to join the Minas Tenis club.
The construction of a new pool also helps fulfill Brazil’s agreeement with the U.S. Olympic Commitee – the U.S. will likely use the new facility as a training site in the leadup to the 2016 Olympic Games.