SASKATOON, Saskatchewan -- Sarah Hughes beat Michelle Kwan for the first time by winning Skate Canada on Saturday night.

	For the second consecutive night at Skate Canada, Michelle Kwan hit the ice hard in failing to land one of her jumps.

Hughes, the 16-year-old from Great Neck, N.Y., finished second in the free skating portion of the pre-Olympic event and rebounded from a disappointing loss to Kwan at Skate America last week to take the $30,000 first prize.

Russia's Irina Slutskaya got the top marks in the free skate Saturday night to finish second overall, ahead of Kwan.

"I never thought I would have won this competition with all three top girls from worlds competing," said Hughes, who was first after the short program Friday.

In the men's competition, Russia's Alexei Yagudin landed two quad toe loop jumps in combination with triple jumps in a sizzling 4½ minutes to beat Canada's Elvis Stojko in the free skate, and finish first. American Todd Eldredge ended up third in the overall standings, behind Stojko.

Kwan fell twice during the free skate, and failed to finish in first or second place overall for the first time since 1996. She edged Hughes for her sixth Skate America title last Saturday in her first event since splitting with coach Frank Carroll.

"It's disappointing but I guess this is the placement I deserve," Kwan said. "I'll keep my head high and try to be better next time. One thing I learned is to be gutsy. I tried two triple-triples, which I hadn't tried before. So it wasn't a disaster."

Hughes' only technical error came when she botched a triple-triple jump combo by doubling out on the entry jump.

"I felt strong and solid," she said.

Slutskaya also stepped out of a triple in a combo, and two-footed another landing.

Yagudin, who unveiled difficult new programs during the event, received a 5.9 for technical content and two 5.9s for artistry from the seven-judge panel -- even after he fell on a triple axel.

"I'm really, really happy," he said of the two quad-triple combos. "I feel I am better prepared than last year. There was too much pressure last year. It was the hardest time of my life. But now I am trying to be more professional. I am more the Alexei of three and four years ago."

Stojko touched a knee down on a triple axel landing, but landed a quad-double combo and skated with a flair he hasn't displayed in more than two seasons.

"I haven't felt that way since '97," Stojko said. "From beginning to end, it felt great."

The third Grand Prix event of the season is Nov. 8-11 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.