My D13 was a figure skater. She passed her senior free by end of hs but only made it to regionals final rounds at the novice level her junior year. She did however end up taking a gap year to skate with Disney. It was one of the best experiences of her life so far. She applied to college and then deferred. Unfortunately most people including college admissions officers have no idea of the level of dedication, time etc it takes to excel at figure skating. So I don’t think the gap year will help with admissions. But if skating is something you love and if you think you will regret not giving it one last try then go for it. Making it to sectionals is a tremendous accomplishment.
We know several skaters who deferred college for a year or more. One was accepted to brown ed but waited so he and his partner could compete at nationals in dance (though not at senior level), another has actually made it to nationals but ended up going to community college part time. One of D’s friends at Disney on ice deferred her acceptance to Notre Dame for two years but has now started. It’s about what you want. College will wait but the easiest path will be to apply now and defer. Fwiw several of D’s friends also have really enjoyed collegiate team skating. Some more competitive (UDel) than others. Lots of options.