COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- American Sasha Cohen's loss to Fumie Suguri of Japan hardly was arguable under the new skating system. Suguri just plain outskated the defending champion, winning both the short program and the free skate with relative ease.

While Suguri flowed through her routine Saturday night, Cohen looked emotionless and skated cautiously. She also fell twice, once on a triple flip and once just after a triple toe loop that usually is automatic for her. "I can't recall the last time I fell on a toe jump," Cohen said.

"I need a little bit of a break," Cohen said after her first defeat in the Grand Prix series in two years. She won two events and the overall title last year, then took three competitions in 2003.

But she was no match for Suguri, who won the first medal ever for her country in the Grand Prix finals.

"I think it starts to show when you start to compete for such a long time," Cohen admitted of her busy schedule.

Cohen won three Grand Prix events this year, while Suguri took only one. But Suguri has finished ahead of Cohen at the last two world championships, where the Japanese skater won bronze medals. And Suguri skated with assuredness, then covered her face with her hands when she finished, perhaps realizing she'd captured the biggest prize of her career.

"People said to me I always cry if I didn't skate well," she said. "I skated well and I cried. Everyone thinks I am crying girl."

Gold medalists get $35,000, while second place is worth $25,000.