Citing struggles on and off the ice, U.S. figure skater Gracie Gold said Friday she would take time off to seek professional help while preparing for the Grand Prix competition.
Gold will not skate in the Oct. 7 Japan Open, which is a free-skate only competition, but plans to skate in the Grand Prix later this fall, NBC Sports reported. She also is scheduled to be there for the Cup of China in Beijing and the Internationaux de France in Grenoble in November.
The 22-year-old figure skater won a team bronze at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, finishing fourth in the women’s singles individual contest. She also won U.S. national titles in 2014 and 2016, but finished sixth at the 2017 national championships and was not named to a world championship team for the first time in her career.
Gold then split with her coach Frank Carroll and moved from Los Angeles to Canton, Michigan, to train with Marina Zoueva and Oleg Epstein
“My passion for skating and training remains strong,” Gold said in a statement, Us Weekly reported. “This time will help me become a stronger person, which I believe will be reflected in my skating performance as well.”
Gold did not specify what kind of professional help she was seeking, but a source told Us Weekly Gold she has been dealing with personal issues and needed time to focus on her health.
“Her family and friends are so proud of her for being so brave and facing these issues directly,” the source said.
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