Leaders tumble, and Arakawa wins Gold
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-24 08:49

"I am really excited about what happened, this being my first Olympics and my first big international. I am taking away a lot from this competition," said Hughes, who replaced the injured Kwan and arrived in Turin just a week before the free skate.

The other American, 16-year-old Kimmie Meissner, wound up sixth, one spot down from her standing after the short program.

"For my first pretty big international competition and the Olympics, I think I did pretty good," Meissner said.

Arakawa landed five triples, three in combination, and her gliding lean-back move, performed directly in front of the judges, was particularly brilliant.

Highlighting it all was her speed, interpretation of "Violin Fantasy of Turandot" by Puccini, and overall beauty.

The win also capped a comeback this season for Arakawa, who, after winning the 2004 world championship, fell to ninth at last year's competition. She was just third at the Japanese nationals this year. Then again, Sarah Hughes won the 2002 Olympics after a third-place finish at the U.S. nationals.

Arakawa sang her national anthem on the podium, then held the medal tight while she took a victory lap — only letting go when she was handed a Japanese flag.

Cohen also waved, but Slutskaya stood stone-faced on the podium.She looked as though she wanted to be anywhere but the Palavela arena.

Cohen's silver was the eighth ever by an American woman and the second for the United States in the games; ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto won the other. Those were the only U.S. figure skating medals in Turin.