The favorites lived up to expectations in the one-run qualifying event for the men's and women's Olympic parallel giant slalom finals as reigning world champion Gilles Jaquet of Switzerland and Austrian World Cup veteran Maria Kirchgasser earned the top seeds in Friday's medal round.

Starting 10th, Jaquet laid down the day's fastest time in 35.69 seconds, the only rider in the field of 32 to broach the 36-second mark. He was followed by 2001 World Championship bronze medalist (snowboardcross) Alexander Maier of Austria in 36.26 seconds. Maier is the brother of alpine skiing star Hermann Maier. World Champinship parallel giant slalom silver medalist Daniel Biveson of Sweden was 3rd in 36.42 seconds.

Aspen's Chris Klug was the lone American to qualify for the men's finals, starting first and finishing 11th in 37.17. Starting 26th, Canadian Jerome Sylvestre was the highest bib number to qualify for the finals, finishing sixth in 36.86 seconds.

In the women's race, Kirchgasser nipped race favorite Karine Ruby of France by .01 seconds with a time of 41.44 seconds. Ruby's teammate Isabelle Blanc finished fourth in 42.20, .26 seconds behind Italian Lidia Trettel in 3rd.

First-time Olympian Kirchgasser, 32, has never won a major race and will have her work cut out for her in the finals. Ruby is a five-time world champion, although she has never finished on the podium in parallel giant slalom. Blanc was the 1999 world champion I parallel giant slalom and Trettel won the silver medal in giant slalom at the 1999 World Championships.

Less than a second separated the top 10 women's qualifiers. Lisa Kosglow was the only American to advance to the finals, finishing 7th, .86 seconds off the pace. Two-time World Championships silver medalist Rosey Fletcher skidded out early in the race and finished 26th.

The racers will compete in the head-to-head finals portion of the event Friday morning. The first runs begin at 10a.m. with women and men alternating runs throughout the day.

— Scott Willoughby, MountainZone.com Correspondent