CRICKLADE'S four-time Commonwealth Games medallist Laura Halford has announced her retirement from the sport of rhythmic gymnastics.

Halford, who claimed a silver medal at this year's Games on Australia's Gold Coast, revealed via her Instagram social media account that she was stepping away from the sport at the age of 22.

The four-time British champion's announcement follows her appearance at the the Rhythmic World Championships in Bulgaria last week, in which she finished in 65th place all-around.

Halford, who finished studying Sport & Exercise at Cardiff Metropolitan University last year, said: "After 16 amazing years as a gymnast, I have decided to retire from the sport.

"Gymnastics has shaped me into the person I am today and taught me lifelong lessons. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have had, and the friends and memories that I have made along the way. Even through the tough times, I have loved every second.

"I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has ever supported me and all the people who I have had the chance to learn from, most importantly; my family, Nia, Jo, Linda, Welsh Gymnastics and all the hardworking staff at Sport Wales.

"I am now looking forward to the future, to trying something new as well as staying involved in the sport and being able to give back to some of the younger generation.''

Five-time Welsh champion Halford, who previously trained out of the Esprit club in Swindon before eventually moving to Wales, represented both Wales and Britain at the age of nine, winning her first junior national title aged 10.

By 2012 - her first year as a senior - she had claimed the overall British title from Swindon-based teammate Stephani Sherlock and clinched the Welsh national crown.

Successful defences of her Welsh and British titles followed in 2014 and she went on to claim all-around team silver with Wales at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, adding bronze medals in both the individual competition and ball discipline.