INDIANAPOLIS -- Ignore what the calendar says. Don't bother double-checking the date on your phone. As far as the U.S. women are concerned, 2016 is already here.
There are reminders of the Rio Olympics everywhere at this week's U.S. Championships. Simone Biles-sized letters spelling out "RIO" sit at the edge of the competition floor. Bright red "Countdown to Rio!" banners on all the scoreboards.
And, of course, Martha Karolyi watching every training session with rapt attention, already creating potential lineups in her head.
"It's absolutely important, and we start to talk about Rio," Karolyi said Wednesday.