Six Paralympians shortlisted for 2015 Laureus Award

Russia’s Roman Petushkov and Germany’s Anna Schaffelhuber, two athletes who won 11 gold medals between them at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, are amongst six Paralympians shortlisted for the prestigious 2015 Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.

Joining them on the shortlist for the award, which recognises sporting achievements during 2014, are the USA’s track and field and cross-country skiing star Tatyana McFadden, Great Britain’s multi-medal winning para-cyclist Sarah Storey, Hong Kong’s boccia world champion Yuk Wing Leung and Canada’s para-cycling world champion Shelly Gauthier.

The winner will be announced on 15 April 2015 at a glittering awards ceremony in Shanghai, China.

The profiles of the six athletes are as follows:

Shelley Gautier (Canada)

At the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Championships, Gauthier won two gold medals, her eighth consecutive world titles. She was the first female tricycle T1 rider on the international scene in 2009 and has since won all titles at the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships for the past five years.

Yuk Wing Leung (Hong Kong)

After 10 years without a major title following double gold at the Athens 2004 Paralympics, Leung won two world titles and two Asian Para-Games boccia titles in 2014.

Tatyana McFadden (USA)

In her first full season in snow sports, McFadden won Paralympic silver in the 1km cross-country sprint at Sochi 2014 and 32 days later won the London Marathon.

With further wins in Boston, Chicago and New York, she repeated her feat of 2013, when she became the first athlete ever to win all four major world marathons in a calendar year.

On the track she set new world records over 1,500m and 5,000m T54.

Roman Petushkov (Russia)

At the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, Petushkov became the first athlete ever to win six gold medals at a Paralympic Winter Games.

In biathlon, the 36-year-old sit skier won the men’s 7.5km, 12.5km and 15km races and in cross-country captured gold in the men’s 1km sprint, 15km and 4x2.5km open relay.

Anna Schaffelhuber (Germany)

The 21-year-oldsit-skier became only the second skier ever to win all five alpine skiing titles at one Paralympic Winter Games.

In addition she won every single IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup race in which she crossed the line in the 2013/2014 season. Such dominance won her the overall World Cup title, as well as titles in slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill.

Sarah Storey (Great Britain)

In 2014, Storey won four world titles in her first year back after giving birth to her daughter.

At the track World Championships she won the individual pursuit in a new world record time and the scratch race. She followed this up with world titles in the road World Championships in the individual time trial and individual road races.

For more information on the Laureus Awards, please visit Laureus website.