RIO DE JANEIRO -- They could teach positive thinking to Tony Robbins, but as a group, the U.S. men's 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 Rio's 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 Monday's 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 Wednesday's 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, it's 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 we'll be on the podium," said Jake Dalton. "It may take a pretty fantastic day to be No. 1, but that's what we're shooting for. It depends on the other [teams] but I think we're 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 didn't want to put on the best show we've ever had in our lives right now. We wanted to just make sure we got out on the equipment, we're comfortable and we're ready to improve on what we did today."
"It's just another day at the office," Brooks said. "We just did what we needed to do. I think we're sitting in good position. Our consistency is pretty good. It's 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, it's time, you got to get it together. Let's 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.
Saturday's was an oldie but a goodie: If you believe strongly enough in your pursuit, it will come to fruition.
Four years ago, Brooks wasn't 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 wasn't quite there. It didn't seem like they were picking themselves up. I think that's something this team can do. We're good at that."
But first, said Danell Leyva, the 2012 all-around bronze medalist who took Orozco's spot on the team this time, they have to put 2012 out of their minds.
"There's no point in trying to remember something negative to obtain a positive outcome," Leyva said. "There's nothing we can do about London anymore. We just have to get as ready as we can for Monday."
