TURIN, Italy — Sasha Cohen is doing things her own way. Even if there's a gold medal on the line.

The U.S. champion made the unusual decision to skip both of her practices Wednesday, deciding rest was more important. No matter that it was the day before the women's Olympic final, or that there's a gold medal almost in her grasp.

It is certainly an unconventional move, but it's not as if the traditional way has done wonders for Cohen in the past.

"It's definitely going to be tough for everyone to do great longs with all of the pressure," she said after winning the short program Tuesday night. "I'm going to believe in myself and expect the best."

Though Cohen edged two-time world champion Irina Slutskaya of Russia in the short program, the gold medal is far from hers. Slutskaya trails by only .03 points, and former world champion Shizuka Arakawa is behind by .71.

"I was just looking at the points, and boy, is it close," said Carol Heiss Jenkins, the 1960 gold medalist and coach of Japan's Miki Ando, who is eighth. "I think they all have a chance."

Cohen has a reputation of being as headstrong as she is talented. She has had plenty of chances like these, only to fall apart and come up short. The 2003 and 2004 national championships. The 2004 world championships. The Salt Lake City Olympics.

Each time she went into the free skate with a chance to win. And each time she faltered.

She went to the 2003 national championships as the strongest skater in the world, but wound up third after doing only five clean triple jumps and falling once. She won the short program at the 2004 nationals, but botched two jumps in the free and finished second.

She also won the short program at the 2004 worlds, but a couple of shaky landings and a two-footed triple salchow spoiled her shot at gold.

And at the Salt Lake City Olympics, Cohen was in third after the short program but dropped to fourth — off the medals podium — with a sloppy free skate.

She did win her first national title this year, but it was like a pro competing against amateurs. Michelle Kwan skipped nationals with a groin injury, and teenagers Kimmie Meissner and Emily Hughes are nowhere near her class.

"I was a different person, a different athlete," Cohen said of her past failures. "I've learned and matured so much and learned how to handle the nerves a bit better since then. I've just evolved."

And figured out what works for her.

Cohen ditched coach John Nicks after Salt Lake City and headed to the East Coast, working first with Tatiana Tarasova and then Robin Wagner. Both helped her grow as a skater, but neither could give her a champion's heart.

It wasn't until she returned to California and Nicks in late 2004 that Cohen grew up. While she admits she dreams about a gold medal "a couple of times a day," it's no longer the only thing driving her.

"It's not always about being the most talented, it's about sticking it out. This sport rewards the tough people," Cohen said. "I've been working really hard at staying strong and being positive. That and enjoying every moment of the process."

Even the unusual ones.

Nicks said Cohen didn't get back to the athletes' village until late Tuesday night, and then had trouble falling asleep. When she finally did, it was a fitful rest. She was still tired when they met for breakfast — "brunch, lunch, whatever it was," Nicks said — so they made the decision to skip practice.

"I thought she should practice," Nicks said. "Then, when I heard of her rest issues, I thought she shouldn't do it."

And no, she's not injured. Cohen had her right leg wrapped Tuesday night and wore an ice pack after the short program, but Nicks said it's nothing unusual.

"She has occasional muscle problems and uses a lot of ice," he added, dispelling questions about a possible groin injury. "There is nothing untoward. She has a few aches, a few pains, as we all do when we get older."

She hopes to have something much better soon: an Olympic gold medal.

"Knowing Sasha, it's probably a little more of an attitude of, `OK, this is going to be my Olympics,'" Heiss Jenkins said. "You have to think that way. It isn't conceit, it's confidence."