Lake Placid (pps) US luger Ashley Walden, fourth at the 2005 FIL World Luge Championships in Park City (USA), will retire. This is what she announced ahead of the Christmas holidays. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but as I step away from the sport, I leave with no regrets, only amazing memories,” the 30-year-old from Danvers, Massachusetts, explained. Under her maiden name Ashley Hayden she competed at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, sliding to a eighth place finish. The “fast starter”, who captured USA Luge Start Championships 10 years in a row, took two silver medals with the US team in the team events at the 2004 and 2005 Worlds. Her career-best result in the Viessmann Luge World Cup was a third place in Winterberg in 2005. Since the summer of 2006, she is married to Bengt Walden who competed in four Olympic Games.