PARK CITY — Austrian snowboarder Alexander Maier put himself in position to do what his more famous but injured brother won't be able to do in skiing: win a medal in the 2002 Olympics.
Hermann Maier, considered the world's best downhill racer, missed the Winter Games due to a motorcycle accident last fall. But his younger brother had the second fastest qualifying time in the parallel giant slalom Thursday at Park City Mountain Resort.
Alexander Maier said his brother called him from vacation in the Caribbean with some pre-race advice, though he didn't care to reveal it.
"I tell you tomorrow what tips he gave me," said Maier, who won a World Cup race on the same course last year.
"Come on, Alex. Share your secrets," urged American Chris Klug, who will join Maier in the 16-man head-to-head elimination round scheduled today at 10 a.m.
"I'm in," said Klug after qualifying in 11th place. "As long as you're in the top 16, you can play the game tomorrow." Klug, 29, is trying to become the first liver transplant recipient to win an Olympic medal.
U.S. rider Lisa Kosglow also survived to race today on the women's side. She qualified seventh.
"I'm just ecstatic. I tried to keep it all in perspective. I tried to keep my focus. The snow was definitely different. We never train on treated snow. This snow was grippy but slick at the same time," she said.
Five other Americans failed to reach the finals in the unforgiving one-run qualification format that leaves no room for mistakes. The idea is to be safe but fast, not always an easy balance.
Jeff Greenwood finished 20th, while Peter Thorndike was 27th.
Except for Kosglow, the veteran U.S. women's team had a heart-breaking day.
Rosey Fletcher's 2002 Olympic dreams ended with tears streaming down her cheeks at the base of the hill. Fletcher, considered the best U.S. snowboard racer, skidded around a gate near the top of the steep course and ended up going around the next gate riding backward. She watched helplessly as others easily bested her time.
"It was a difficult day. I was trying to do my best, and it didn't work out. The snow was really difficult," she said.
Thirty-seven-year-old Sondra Van Ert, who grew up in Bountiful and is the oldest competitor in the field, missed the finals by .09 seconds. American Lisa Odynski finished 27th.