Olympic figure skating bronze medalist Gracie Gold announced Friday she is withdrawing from an upcoming competition to seek unspecified "professional help," but still intends to compete later in the season.
The 22-year-old Gold, a two-time national champion, referred to "recent struggles on and off the ice'' as the reason for withdrawing from next month's Japan Cup in a statement first reported by USA Today. The statement was later sent by her publicist to other outlets, including ESPN.
"My passion for skating and training remains strong,'' Gold said in the statement. "I realize I need to seek some professional help and will be taking some time off while preparing for my Grand Prix assignments. This time will help me become a stronger person, which I believe will be reflected in my skating performances as well.''
Both of Gold's planned Grand Prix competitions, the Cup of China and the Internationaux de France, are slated for November. If she were to later decide against competing in those events, she would still be eligible to skate at the U.S. championships in early January, where the three women's Olympic team slots for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games will be decided.
Gold's combination of elegance and athleticism lifted her to the top of a deep national talent pool in 2014 and 2016. She finished fourth in individual competition at the Sochi 2014 Games, and was part of the U.S. bronze medal in the team event.
A repeat trip to the Olympics, however, has appeared increasingly unlikely over the past 18 months as her form deteriorated.
The public turning point was Gold's fourth-place finish at the spring 2016 world championships in Boston after taking the lead in the short program. She finished sixth at the 2017 nationals after a season during which she openly referred to weight issues, and her Los Angeles-based coach Frank Carroll ended their working relationship.
She currently trains outside Detroit with coaches Marina Zoueva and Oleg Epstein.
Gold grew up in Springfield, Illinois, where her father, Carl, is an anesthesiologist. The State Journal-Register recently reported that Carl Gold is fighting to overturn the suspension of his medical license.