For the women, Columbia's Mariana Pajon posted the fastest time ahead of Laetitia Le Corguille of France.
Day, the favorite in today's time trial, used his trademark finesse to post a time of 35.842 on his "home" course. The last of 102 men to take to the start, Olympic bronze-medalist and current world champion Robinson rode a 36.111 over the 430-meter track to take the number two seed for tomorrow's head-to-head racing. Strombergs rode a 36.232 and current junior men's world champion Willoughby a 36.246 to qualify fourth and fifth respectively.
"I did as well as I could tonight with Mikey there. He's got this track wired," said Robinson of Day. "I'm happy with how it went tonight and think I can do even better tomorrow."
A trio of Americans followed as Denzel Stein posted the fifth best time, Nick Long sixth and Kristopher Fox seventh. Six of the 52 American starters landed inside the top 10 in today's qualifying round.
In the women's qualifying, the absence of World Cup points leader Sarah Walker of New Zealand left the door open for junior world champion Mariana Pajon of Columbia. Pajon, who despite her young age is considered a race favorite, logged the best female time of the day with a 38.201, four-tenths of a second ahead of Olympic silver-medalist Laetitia Le Corguille (FRA). Overall 2008 UCI BMX Supercross champion Arielle Martin (Pleasant Grove, Utah) qualified third on what she considers her home track with a time of 38.871. Three of the top eight women's qualifiers also hailed from the host United States.
With clear, warm weather expected to make conditions ideal on Saturday, the stage is set for the world's top BMX riders to square off in eight-up runs to the finish on the Beijing Olympic replica track on Saturday. Marked by a long opening straight, lane position is not expected to be a major factor in tomorrow's rounds.
After being set off individually in qualifying on Friday, the men have been grouped into batches of eight for Saturday's racing. The women will be in two groups of eight and will have three rounds of semi-finals to determine the top eight for the final, while the men's top eight will be determined through 1/8 finals, quarterfinals and semi-finals.
Saturday's action at the event will begin with practice at 5:00 p.m. P.D.T. and 1/8 finals beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Swatch signature session with the top racers will also take place from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $10 at the United States Olympic Training Center's Spirit Store inside the visitor's center at 2800 Olympic Parkway in Chula Vista, Calif.
Watch all of tomorrow's action live beginning at 7:30 p.m. P.D.T. on www.freecaster.tv .
Leading results from Qualifying Round
MEN
1. Mike Day (USA) 35.842
2. Donny Robinson (USA) 36.111
3. Maris Strombergs (LAT) 36.232
4. Sam Willoughby (AUS) 36.246
5. Denzel Stein (USA) 36.295
6. Nicholas Long (USA) 36.312
7. Kristopher Fox (USA) 36.438
8. Joris Daudet (FRA) 36.530
9. Vance Wiesendanger (USA) 36.548
10. Ivo Van Der Putten (NED) 36.561
WOMEN
1. Mariana Pajon (COL) 38.201
2. Laetitia Le Corguille (FRA) 38.696
3. Arielle Martin (USA) 38.871
4. Lauren Reynolds (AUS) 39.039
5. Taylor Wolcott (USA) 39.193
6. Brooke Crain (USA) 39.296
7. Caroline Buchanan (AUS) 39.503
8. Rachel Bracken (AUS) 39.825
Olympic medalists and California natives Mike Day (Santa Clarita, Calif./GT) and Donny Robinson (Napa, Calif./Hyper) posted the fastest qualifying times of the day on day one of round three of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, presented by Swatch in Chula Vista, California on Friday. Olympic gold medalist Maris Strombergs of Latvia was right on the heels of the American pair in third while Australia's Sam Willoughby, winner of the second round of the Supercross World Cup in South Africa, posted the fourth best time. 
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