How did Sasha Cohen stumble twice and still beat Irina Slutskaya?

Under the old figure skating judging system, scores were based largely on the impression left in each judge's mind. A fall — or two — could be catastrophic. Under the new system, each element is scored against a standard — almost like par in golf — so that one or two mistakes can be overcome by above-par performances on other elements. Despite a fall and a near-fall on two jumps, Cohen racked up points with strong spirals and five clean triple jumps. Meanwhile Slutskaya fell on one jump and did not attempt some of the difficult elements that would have improved her score.