Pro Figure Skater Ditches The Ice, Seeks ‘Professional Help’ 5 Months Before Olympics

“This time will help me become a stronger person, which I believe will be reflected in my skating performances as well,” added Gold, not specifying which kind of help she is searching for.

“When she was skating well, she was magical,” said Gold’s longtime coach Frank Carroll in an interview this week. “You said to yourself, ‘Oh my God, she’s gorgeous. She looks like a movie star. She has such joie de vivre.’ Then you ask yourself what happened to that. I hope she can find happiness.”

The 22-year-old American skater’s news comes just five months before the next Olympics Games! Trials begin in early January and it is unknown whether she will be ready to return to the ice by then.

Gold was scheduled to open her 2018 season at the Japan Open in October, but she has now claimed she will not be attending the event. She has more competitions scheduled for November.

The skater’s decline has been apparent during her recent competitions, and professionals have noted she has failed to land even the simplest jumps in her latest performances. Her inner struggle has also been evident, as she recently voiced her concerns about her weight and her concerns surrounding her body image.