e Crows a top-four berth.I personally expect to bounce back well, Jaco

RIO DE JANEIRO -- On the day before these Olympics even began, U.S. swimming assistant coach Greg Meehan gathered the 22 women on his team on a patch of grass outside the American building in the Olympic village. He handed out a bunch of small American flags. He gave a brief history lesson about the Homestead Act of 1862 and how anyone could claim a particular patch of land.Then he instructed the two women who had qualified for each event to take turns sticking their flags into the Brazilian ground, claiming that event for the United States.The idea being it would be their property if they claimed it first, said Dave Marsh, the U.S. womens head coach.Around the same time, Michael Phelps, Anthony Ervin and Nathan Adrian stood in front of the 22 other members of the U.S. mens team and delivered an emotional yet stern plea. After a disappointing team performance at the world championships in Russia a year earlier, the three veterans spoke of the importance of getting off to a good start in Rio. Once the American medal haul began, they said, it couldnt be stopped.Now, through five days of the Rio swimming competition, it appears the Olympic veterans were right. And the Americans are claiming land everywhere you turn. Wednesday night was just another example, with the Americans adding three more medals to their tally of 18, including Josh Prenots silver in the 200 breaststroke, Adrians bronze in the 100 freestyle and, for the finale, gold in the womens 4x200 freestyle relay.Tack it on to the success from the first four nights of competition, and its a historic pace. Consider: U.S. swimmers have medaled in 18 of the 20 events held so far, and they finished fourth in the two events in which they didnt medal -- including the womens 200 butterfly Wednesday night.The Americans are on pace to win the most medals in a single Olympics since 1972, when they won 43. And that was a year when countries were allowed to enter three swimmers per event. Now the limit is two.The party began the first night of competition, when Chase Kalisz blasted his personal best in the 400 IM by more than two seconds to take silver, and then the womens 400 freestyle relay capped the night with a silver. The Americans havent stopped since.Its just gotten bigger and bigger as the ball has been rolling downhill, said Jacob Pebley, who finished third in the semifinal heat of the 200 backstroke and will go for his own medal Thursday night. And its kind of hard not to follow all that momentum and jump on.The coaches and athletes alike will tell you its more than just talent. They insist this team has a chemistry and bond that has proven critical to their success. It was forged in the two training camps that preceded the trip to Rio, one in San Antonio and one in Atlanta. There were late-night card games. Rookie skits. Inside jokes. The carpool karaoke music video. Cody Miller dressing up like a lobster. And the women playing a game where Marsh would hold a sheet between two swimmers, and when he dropped it they would have to say which event the other was competing in as quickly as possible.Coming together as a team -- it helps you swim fast, said Simone Manuel, the top seed in Thursday nights finals of the womens 100 freestyle. Its that X factor that we are a family, not just a team.Added Marsh: We have all kinds of personalities, but also people who are easily adaptable to a team setting within their own personal preparation.And they feed off one another. In the American area in the warm-up pool hangs four floor-to-ceiling banners signed by family, friends and complete strangers wishing the team good luck. When each swimmer leaves the warm-up area and heads to the pool to race, he or she is sent off with a cowbell, cheers and chants of USA, USA, USA.The cowbell, its been working pretty good at this meet, Prenot said. Im not sure if the other countries like it.Probably not. USA Swimming, after all, is the equivalent of the New York Yankees. Their 520 medals before competition began in Rio is almost three times as many as have been won by the second-most decorated team, Australia.The 2016 U.S. roster includes not only Phelps, but Katie Ledecky setting world records of her own. Ryan Lochte is the second-most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time behind Phelps, his longtime rival and friend.The American swimmers 21-medal haul so far exceeds the next two teams -- Australia (7) and Japan (5) -- combined. There have been big-name stars in Phelps and Ledecky and newcomers such as Ryan Murphy and Lilly King. And there has been three golds and a silver in the relays with only the mens and womens medley relays still to come.Its really good, mens coach Bob Bowman said. Its not just the medals. We are swimming well, a lot better than trials. And that means our plan worked.The Americans have their trials later than any other country in the world. Their performance at the Games shows they have perfected their tapers, knowing the exact pattern to rest their swimmers so they can make the team at trials but then get their bodies back up to compete for medals five weeks later at the Olympics.These Games also brought a unique concern -- finals starting each night at 10 p.m. Rio time, jolting the swimmers circadian rhythms. Its why the team held practices during both training camps at 11 p.m.The coaches did a great job there, Prenot said. I was a little concerned about that coming in, but everyone has done well. I havent heard one person complain about it or anything.Instead, the only ones complaining are the other countries -- about all that red, white and blue dominance. Orlando Cepeda Jersey .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Ozzie Albies Jersey . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. http://www.baseballbravesproshop.com/david-justice-braves-jersey/ . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Greg Maddux Jersey . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Matt Joyce Braves Jersey . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Adelaide expect defensive duo Kyle Cheney and Luke Brown to play in their AFL elimination final after emerging unscathed from Wednesdays main training session.Cheney (groin) and Brown (soreness) eased any lingering concern at training ahead of the Crows knockout final against North Melbourne.They moved really well. We did some decent training and they seemed to get through it fine ... I think they will be good to go, Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs told reporters.The Crows will make at least two changes to their side with vice-captain Rory Sloane to return from suspension and rebounding half-back Brodie Smith overcoming concussion.Adelaide enter the Adelaide Oval final as hot favourites against a Kangaroos outfit which has won just two of their past 11 games.But the Crows remain wary of the Roos, and particularly their influential ruckman Todd Goldstein who Jacobs rates the best in the business despite Melbournes Max Gawn winning All Australian honours this season.I think hes still thhe best in the game, Jacobs said of his North rival.ddddddddddddObviously Maxy has been great this year but I think Toddy is the most well-rounded and has obviously been at the top of his game for five or 10 years now.I have played a lot of footy