Hughes, Yagudin Progress

Olympic champions Alexei Yagudin and Sarah Hughes didn’t rekindle the magic they produced 10 months ago in Salt Lake City, but each won an important battle Friday.

Not winning at the Crest Whitestrips International Figure Skating Challenge mattered less than coming away with reason to believe they’ve overcome injuries and are pointed toward success.

“I’m extremely pleased with how I did, considering I missed the whole season so far,” said Hughes, who returned from a torn leg muscle to finish second to a powerful and poised Sasha Cohen at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

“It’s very nerve-racking to go out there for the first time,” added Hughes, who is heavier than her Olympic weight but held onto her landings in her “La Bayadere” routine. “You don’t know what to expect, where to breathe, which parts to sell more.”

Yagudin, hobbled by a hip problem, scaled down his program to eliminate the quadruple jumps, which consigned him to fifth. Fellow Russian Evgeny Plushenko won with a program that featured a quad and seven triples and earned a perfect 6.0 for presentation from Russian judge Igor Dolgushin. Michael Weiss was second, followed by Olympic bronze medalist Tim Goebel -- also returning after a hip injury -- Takeshi Honda of Japan, Yagudin and Matt Savoie.

Yagudin, encouraged by a new exercise regimen, will reconsider his previous plan to skip the world championships in Washington in March. “If I can do more, I will try to do worlds,” he said. “I’m not going to go to get 25th.”

Cohen didn’t land a planned triple-triple combination but won the hearts of the audience and the judges. Reigning world champion Irina Slutskaya, lacking verve, finished third.

“I’ve been able to find strength mentally, as a competitor,” said Cohen, who has followed coach Tatiana Tarasova to a new rink in Simsbury, Conn.