Latvian skeleton athlete Lelde Priedulena, the 2016 world junior champion, has announced her retirement from the sport ©IBSF

Latvian skeleton athlete Lelde Priedulena, the 2016 world junior champion, has announced her retirement from the sport.

Priedulena was the first skeleton athlete from her country to become world junior champion.

She made 45 appearances on the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup circuit between 2012 and 2019, narrowly missing the podium several times.

At both the 2017 IBSF World Championships Königssee in Germany and the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Priedulena finished seventh.

Lelde Priedulena finished seventh at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images
Lelde Priedulena finished seventh at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images

Last year, the Latvian had to undergo cruciate ligament surgery and missed the first half of the season in the IBSF World Cup.

Her last World Cup appearance came last month in Innsbruck, where she ranked 19th. 

"Dear skeleton, I feel it’s time," Priedulena, 25, wrote on her Facebook page.

"I want to thank you for teaching me to think out of the box and proving to me that there's no star too far and no dream too grand."