Gracie Gold is taking time off to focus on herself, just five months before the 2018 Winter Olympics. <\/p>\n
The 22-year-old figure skater — who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia — announced on Friday that she would be taking time off to “seek some professional help.” <\/p>\n
\u201cMy passion for skating and training remains strong,\u201d Gold said in a statement to USA Today.<\/em> \u201cHowever, after recent struggles on and off the ice, I realize I need to seek some professional help and will be taking some time off while preparing for my Grand Prix assignments.” <\/p>\n “This time will help me become a stronger person,” her statement continued, “which I believe will be reflected in my skating performances as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Gold will no longer be competing at the Japan Open in October, however her Grand Prix assignments in Beijing, China, and Grenoble, France, are scheduled for November. There are just three women’s spots open on the 2018 U.S. Olympic figure skating team, which begins its trials in January. The 2018 Winter Olympics will begin on Feb. 9 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. <\/p>\n Gold gained as much fame for her Olympic feats in 2014 as she did for the crowd of celebrity friends she acquired afterwards. The figure skater became part of Taylor Swift’s squad in 2015, and even enjoyed a day trip to Catalina Island with the singer, Lorde, Jaime King and HAIM’s Este, Danielle and Alana. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n Gracie Gold is taking time off to focus on herself, just five months before the 2018 Winter Olympics. The 22-year-old figure skater — who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia — announced on Friday that she would be taking time off to “seek some professional help.” \u201cMy passion for …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49693,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[611],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n