The 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia are nearly one year away and figure skating, arguably one of the most beloved sports of those games, is searching for its super star. Skating's scandalous heyday (remember Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding?) is long gone and it's even been years since Michelle Kwan competed.

Casual U.S. sports fans are hard pressed to name the male and female winners of the figure skating events in the last 2010 Olympics. (Answer: Evan Lysacek and Yu-Na Kim)

Just last week, during what should have been a great night for the sport, the nationally televised U.S. Ladies Figure Skating Championship results were widely criticized. Last year's champion, Ashley Wagner, won the event again despite falling twice in the long program, and facing Gracie Gold, the 17-year- old from Chicago, who skated a more technically difficult free program nearly perfectly. Fans were so outraged by the results that this week Wagner responded on twitter:

Wow, people can be really mean. It wasn't my dream program..trust me I'm aware, but u can't understand how it feels til ur out there urself

— Ashley Wagner (@AshWagner2010) January 29, 2013

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