WASHINGTON -- Michelle Kwan expects challenges to come from everywhere. Even from a relative unknown making her mark in figure skating for the first time.

	Michelle Kwan has plenty of support at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Kwan, showing increased overall speed and a real burst of energy in her footwork, won the short program Friday at the World Figure Skating Championships. She edged Elena Sokolova, whose triple-triple jump combination, something Kwan doesn't usually do, earned the Russian three first-place votes to Kwan's six.

Sokolova is having a breakthrough season, but is somewhat of a surprise to be pushing the four-time world champion so hard.

"I scout all the time,'' Kwan said. "I am a competitor. It is a very natural instinct to do that. Even when I go to local rinks, I see little girls and think, 'Uh-oh.'

"It's weird, because I hear people say she's changed,'' Kwan added of Sokolova, who was eight in her only other worlds, in 1998 at Minneapolis. "The energy was there, and she has that energy.''

So does the 22-year-old Kwan, who remains at the top despite skating few competitions this season. She won Skate America, then took her seventh U.S. crown -- and sixth in a row. And now she leads heading into Saturday night's free skate.

Kwan's masterful presentation to Peter Gabriel's driving rhythms, and her surpassing spins and spirals, made a huge difference. Kwan even got a 6.0 for artistry. Of course, under the current judging system in which nine of the 14 panelists' votes are official, who knows if it counted?

"I was going to say, 'Wait, I don't even know if it matters,'' she said with a laugh. "Now if I got all 6.0s, that would be something.''

The partisan crowd, filled with flag-waving fans and dozens of banners and signs proclaiming Kwan as golden, particularly responded to her footwork.

"I think the audience talked that last judge into giving me a 6.0,'' she said. But maybe it was the way she danced from one end of the rink to the other in perfect time with the music.

A fifth world title would tie her with Dick Button and Carol Heiss for most by an American. But to get it, she will have to hold off Sokolova, who is expected to do a pair of triple-triples in the free skate, and Japan's Fumie Suguri.

American Sasha Cohen fell on her triple flip for the first time in two years and began a spiral series too late. She wound up fourth overall, fifth in the short program.

Some of the Salt Lake City magic was back for Olympic champion Sarah Hughes, who was smooth as fresh ice in her routine. Hughes easily hit every element, including a superb set of spirals and camel spins, although her triple lutz was technically unsound. Still, she was only ninth overall after a weak qualifying effort.

Strength of jumps is Sokolova's calling card, and she delivered it with a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination to open her program. Sokolova just might have the jumping repertoire to unseat Kwan.

"I am absolutely happy about my short program. And what will be tomorrow? God knows, not me,'' she said.

The 23-year-old Sokolova cut her right hand, she believes on a spiral. It didn't affect her performance.

Then again, why should it. This is a woman who suffered a concussion last summer on an airplane when a luggage bag fell on her head. That made her re-evaluate everything while she sat out nearly a month.

"The accident means a lot in my life,'' she said, "because if it wouldn't happen with me, maybe I wouldn't understand that I can't live without skating. I am here now and I am absolutely happy life is going on.''

Cohen, the most successful competitor on this season's Grand Prix tour, had a disappointing free skate at nationals to wind up third behind Kwan and Hughes. And now this.

"I was really disappointed with my skate today,'' said Cohen, who still is within range of her first world championships medal. "Mainly, I'm upset with my skate. That controls where I place.''

Hughes smiled widely as she finished, nodding her head as if to say, "Yeah, I can still do this.'' Although her marks ranged from 4.8 for technical merit to 5.8 for presentation, skating cleanly and with verve was most pleasing.

"I'd say this was about 40 percent better skating,'' Hughes said. "I am really pleased with my skate and how I pulled it together after qualifying.''

Fumie Suguri, who won the second qualifying group and was third at last year's worlds, had a sensational spin combination and a very difficult flying camel spin. But she had an insecure landing on her combination, leaving plenty of room for Kwan and Sokolova.

"I jumped high on the double toe and it was kind of weird for the landing, but I fight it,'' Suguri said. "It was not very, very good ... but I am kind of satisfied.''

Canada's Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, chasing a world title and falling short since 1996, found the formula Friday night in what they say is their final competition. They edged defending champions Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh of Russia, bringing a huge ovation from the Canadian and American fans at the MCI Center.

Together since 1991, Bourne and Kraatz often have felt cheated by the judges -- and said so. This time, they got a 5-4 edge, even though the Russians received one 6.0 for artistry.

"The gold medal was a reward for the Canadian couple for a long career,'' an obviously bitter Averbukh said.