Sexualität » race was about far more than first and s

RIO DE JANEIRO -- They could teach positive thinking to Tony Robbins, but as a group, the U.S. mens gymnastics team actually might have to dial it down a bit.Using the 2012 London Olympics as a ready example, the fervent five must quickly tuck away an impressive second-place finish to China in the qualification round Saturday at Rios Olympic Stadium and come to grips with a few realities.It should not be that difficult.Atop the list is the fact that they finished first in qualifications at the 2012 Games before placing fifth in the team finals.Looking ahead to Mondays team finals, China, team gold medalists the past two Olympics and three of the past four, along with fourth-place Japan and even fifth-place Great Britain are still considered heavier favorites than the U.S.And on a day in which the mood was permanently dampened by the gruesome injury to French gymnast Samir Ait Said, whose bad landing on a vault snapped his lower left leg with a crack heard to the upper reaches of the arena, it was one more reminder of the delicate nature of the sport.This sport is absolutely brutal, said Sam Mikulak, who finished in seventh place to qualify for Wednesdays all-around finals along with teammate Chris Brooks, who finished 19th. We learned that from John Orozco [who was originally chosen for the 2016 Olympic team but lost his spot due to a serious knee injury a little more than two weeks before Rio]. Especially to be in the Olympic Games and go down like that, its a horrible, horrible thing.We just have to get in the zone, stay focused and do the gymnastics we came out here to do.Considering it was far from a flawless day for the Americans, who faltered specifically and significantly on pommel horse, they were still able to maintain a sunny disposition at the overall result.If we hit our sets, I think well be on the podium, said Jake Dalton. It may take a pretty fantastic day to be No. 1, but thats what were shooting for. It depends on the other [teams] but I think were good enough.There is one school of thought that a superior team like China holds back in the qualification rounds, if not exactly lulling its opponents into a state of complacency, then at least saving its best for last.All scores are wiped clean for the team, all-around and apparatus finals.U.S. team coordinator Kevin Mazeika said the Americans subscribe to that philosophy to a certain degree as well. We definitely talked about keeping something in the tank for Monday, he said.Mikulak agreed.Today was about setting a tone for team finals, he said. We didnt want to put on the best show weve ever had in our lives right now. We wanted to just make sure we got out on the equipment, were comfortable and were ready to improve on what we did today.Its just another day at the office, Brooks said. We just did what we needed to do. I think were sitting in good position. Our consistency is pretty good. Its been going well in training. I have all the confidence in the world that these guys are going to smash what we need to. Take away the good and leave the bad. Monday is a new day and we have to keep the ball rolling.Brooks, 29, sat in the stands in London four years ago as a team alternate. On Saturday, he stood in the tunnel before taking the floor with his team and said he became emotional after I talked to my dad a little bit.Brooks lost his father, Larry, who also coached him, in a car accident in 2008. I started to tear up and I was like, No, no, no, its time, you got to get it together. Lets go out there and do some gymnastics.Before they left their rooms, the U.S. gymnasts continued their ritual of reading one of a supply of inspirational sayings provided to them by their physical therapist.Saturdays was an oldie but a goodie: If you believe strongly enough in your pursuit, it will come to fruition.Four years ago, Brooks wasnt entirely sure the U.S. team did that.From where I was sitting in the stands, we just have to keep ourselves together as a team a little bit more, he said. It seemed like after a couple little mistakes in finals last time, the team chemistry wasnt quite there. It didnt seem like they were picking themselves up. I think thats something this team can do. Were good at that.But first, said Danell Leyva, the 2012 all-around bronze medalist who took Orozcos spot on the team this time, they have to put 2012 out of their minds.Theres no point in trying to remember something negative to obtain a positive outcome, Leyva said. 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While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. RIO DE JANEIRO -- As she stood on the starting block watching the race unfold before her, 19-year-old Katie Ledecky did everything she could to control her nerves. She couldnt remember the last time she stood in this position, anchoring a 400 freestyle relay final. Maybe in high school? A club meet? But this was the Olympics. The biggest swim meet on the planet.Four years earlier in London she had to wait seven days to make her Olympic debut. And even then she had spent the week overlooked until halfway through the 800 free when the world realized the youngest member of the entire U.S. Olympic delegation was about to win Olympic gold. Now she found herself waiting on the blocks in the most important position of the marquee race on the Olympics opening night.She said it felt weird watching three teammates dive in before her. She tried to block it out and focus on doing everything she could to bring home the gold. A week earlier, even she didnt know if she would be swimming the event in preliminaries. She had finished seventh in the 100 free a month earlier at Olympic trials. But after impressing her coaches during training camp she earned one of the four spots on the team for prelims. Then in that race she swam the second-fastest split of the 64 competitors in 52.64 seconds. It all led to that moment, anchoring the final leg.Its so much fun to have a relay as a first event, Ledecky said afterward. To relax and know you have these three girls to compete with.For those who dont follow the sport regularly, it might not have seemed like a big deal. Ledecky is a budding American star. Of course she anchored one of the marquee races of the meet. But Ledecky has built her success as a distance freestyler. Shes the world-record holder in the 400- 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle events. Swimming the 100 -- against the blindingly fast Australians no less -- iss like asking a marathon runner to take down Usain Bolt.ddddddddddddOn this night, the task would prove too tall. In the lane next to Ledecky, Australias Cate Campbell split in 51.97, and any chance Ledecky had to catch the Aussies was gone. The American team of Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, Dana Vollmer and Ledecky would swim an American record 3:31.89, more than a second behind the Aussies world-record time of 3:30.65.But the race was about far more than first and second place. This was a seminal moment in the career of the Americans brightest young star. For Ledecky to swim a pair of sub-53 splits speaks volumes about not only what can be expected of her in these Olympics but potential future games down the road.Ledecky left London a young distance freestyler, and three years later at World Championships in Russia swept the 400, 800 and 1,500. Adding the 200 and now potentially the 100 to her future event list would be unheard of. Or would it?Its absolutely amazing to have the versatility to have all those different speeds and races -- it says a huge amount for her athletic ability, Vollmer said of her teammate. She has that amazing ability to change her rhythm or whatever you want to call it for each race. Shes an absolute fighter. I had no fears with her as our anchor that she would dig deep and fight as hard as she could.Ledecky is scheduled to swim the 400 free on Sunday. She will also compete in the 200 and 800 free and the 200-free relay later this week. Any combination of five medals and she will tie Missy Franklins London record for a female swimmer.Shes Katie Ledecky, U.S. womens coach Dave Marsh said between sessions Saturday. She doesnt know her top end yet. Shes not superwoman, but shes pretty darn super. ' ' '