I beg to differ on that one. What ruined the sport was that scoring scandal in 2002 that reduced Olympic figure skating to the same level as a World Wrestling Federation event, or a boxing match promoted by Don King.
From a sports enthusiast's standpoint, there is nothing more damaging to the reputation of a competitive sport than even a slight inkling that the outcome of a contest is somehow fixed. Figure skating is simply reaping what it has sown over the years.
All I can tell you is that watching this sport is entirely different than it used to be. If the sport loses it's audience will anybody care?