While there are many folk with Olympia's first and last name, here is a short article by someone who I think might be our Olympia from 1991...very interesting....
POWER SKATING
Published: April 7, 1991 New York Times
The idea of a style of figure skating based solely on jumps seems rather like a performance of Brahms played mostly on cymbals: when one element, no matter how flashy, takes over, the whole suffers ("Power Skating," by Jared Lubarsky, March 10).
Yet what worries me even more about the prospect of "jump skating" is the effect it will have on the skaters themselves. The sight of Midori Ito on television last month at the World Figure Skating Championships in Munich, Germany, hobbled by new and old injuries, made me wonder how many kids will be chewed up by this style. I fear that skating will become like gymnastics, with a constant procession of disposable 13-year-olds who thrill audiences for a season and then burn out or become too injured to perform. "Olympia" New York, N.Y.
I'm so glad you were brave and posted your statement. It's lovely and eloquent, a splendid characterization of Daisuke. I agree with you that the sport should be more than just collecting points, and Daisuke embodies that extra something that makes skating unique among sports. The skaters who "grab my soul," as you put it, are the ones I remember forever: Kurt, John Curry, Yagudin, Lambiel, Paul Wylie, and Daisuke being premier among them. Like you, I felt that when he stood on Olympic ice after that awful injury, he had already won. I'm thrilled that he medaled, and I hope he medals again. But I'll watch him no matter what, as long as he's skating. If he turns pro (a long time from now, I hope!) and skates mostly in Japan, I hope that generous fans will post his programs on YouTube where fans like us can watch him from all across the globe.
Whole post!
I am so sorry I am late. I was trying to post here to tell the truth, but I was so shocked, too saddened to hear this and I just couldn't express my feeling very well with my darn poor English. I have logged in, typed up a couple of words, then my ability to think in English and to write stopped while thinking of our dearest Olympia, and had to give it up... First Ziggy and now Olympia;;;; so so so sad. ...