Cohen continues season-ending success with win

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Sasha Cohen continued her season-closing success by winning the Marshalls World Skating Challenge, defeating world champion Shizuka Arakawa of Japan and Michelle Kwan on Tuesday night.

Cohen, a surprise silver medalist at the world championships in Dortmund, Germany, 10 days ago, took the crown with a flawless performance that earned her a pair of 6.0s for presentation from a panel of five international judges in the final competition of the season.

"This was definitely a 'Yes' performance," Cohen said. "It was definitely my best."

Cohen, who skated last, brought the crowd to its feet when the 6.0s flashed on the scoreboard.

"It was really nice to get some 6.0s," she said. "I know I had two here and four at worlds."

Arakawa, who ended Kwan's five-time reign as world champion on March 27, finished second. Kwan was third.

"I felt very good. It's a bummer I made two mistakes," Kwan said. "It's tough after the world championships."

The event, held at the Dunkin' Donuts Center, featured top Olympic-eligible athletes.

Cohen defeated a field of seven skaters, which included Fumine Suguri of Japan, U.S. bronze medalist Jennifer Kirk, 2002 Olympic silver medalist Irina Slutskaya of Russia and Japan's Miki Ando.

Slutskaya, who missed the entire season until the worlds with a heart ailment, received a standing ovation after her program. She finished fourth.

"That was amazing," she said of the ovation. "I feel much more comfortable than two, three months ago. I miss this."

In the men's competition held earlier Tuesday evening, world champion Evgeni Plushenko, the 2002 Olympic silver medalist, edged France's Brian Joubert. It was a similar result to the worlds, were the pair finished in the same order.

"If you win the championship, you should just go forward," Plushenko said of a busy schedule. "I skated the last four days. I didn't jump at all. I just started yesterday. It was the final competition of the season, so I'm happy."

The men's field of six skaters included 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Tim Goebel, U.S. champion Johnny Weir, three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss and Evan Lysacek.