Still, Cohen had no illusions that it was good enough for a medal. She took off her skates, changed from her costume and got ready to congratulate the winners.

When the skaters after Arakawa faltered, she had to quickly put the costume back on and lace up her skates to take the medalists’ curtain call.

“I definitely didn’t think I was going to get any medal, so it was a surprise,” she said.

Somewhere back home, meanwhile, Michelle Kwan had to be wondering what could have been.

Slide show   Emotional Moments Feb. 26: See photos of athletes' highs and lows from Sunday.

Kwan was the rare skater who prospered despite never winning Olympic gold, but her career will always be noted for the lack of it. She cried in Nagano after winning a silver and in Salt Lake City after winning a bronze, but in between she won world and national championships by the handful.

She came to Turin hoping she would finally get that elusive gold. She left after a day knowing that her body would simply not give her one last chance.

Cohen seems even more fragile. She said a mixture of anti-inflammatories and Tylenol kept her going this week, but if she’s feeling so much pain now and she’s only 21 years old, how long can she keep skating?

The chance of her lifetime was here, and just as quickly it was gone.

Slide show   Short and sweet Images of Americans Cohen, Kimmie Meissner and Emily Hughes from Tuesday's short program.

Cohen has an agent and sponsors. She knows the riches that could have been her reward. She tried her best to put a positive spin on it all, but the words sounded hollow.

“Ultimately,” she said, “it’s four minutes of one day of my life.”

It was, but it was the four biggest minutes of the biggest day Cohen will likely ever have.