2010 Winter Olympics Preview: Figure Skating

Women from the United States had won two straight gold medals in singles competition at the Olympics until Shizuka Arakawa of Japan broke that string in Italy four years ago. Now it's up to a pair of American teenagers to rekindle the golden fire going into Vancouver.

With Sasha Cohen listed as the second alternate behind Ashley Wagner, the burden falls on Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu to carry the torch on the ice for the Americans. As of December 2009, Flatt was ranked ninth in the world, but the 17-year-old from Del Mar, California raised eyebrows by winning the title at this year's U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Nagasu, the 2008 U.S. national champion, came in second place in the championships this year.