Vote for December’s Allianz Athlete of the Month

Athletes take important steps toward Tokyo 2020 while winter sport athletes impress early in the season 13 Jan 2020

Japanese female goalballer about to throw the ball

Haruka Wakasugi helped Japan complete a three-peat at the Asia Pacific Championships

ⒸJapan Goalball Association

By IPC

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has released the shortlist for December’s Allianz Athlete of the Month, and fans can now vote for the winner on www.paralympic.org.

The nominations are:

Vilde Nilsen, NOR, cross-country skiing
The 18-year-old swept gold in all three individual standing cross-country events at the first World Cup of the season at home in Lillehammer, site of the 2021 World Championships.

female Para Nordic skier Vilde Nilsen holds up a Norwegian flag

ⒸCanadian Paralympic Committee

Zouhair Snisla, MAR, blind football
Snisla stole the show in the final of the 2019 IBSA Blind Football African Championships in Enugu, Nigeria. After an early brace in the first-half against Mali, he scored another in the second to complete his hat-trick and help his team claim the win and place at Tokyo 2020. He also walked away with the Player of the Tournament award.

ⒸIBSA

Ben Tudhope, AUS, snowboard
The Aussie took two golds in the snowboard-cross races at the World Cup in Pyha, Finland, and dedicated his wins to his coach Mikko Wendelin, who passed away just a week before.

Male snowboarder celebrates after crossing finishline

ⒸJanne Lipsanen

Haruka Wakasugi, JPN, goalball
She was her team’s top scorer at the 2019 IBSA Goalball Asia Pacific Championships at home in Chiba. Wakasugi scored 10 goals across the tournament and saw the hosts claim their third consecutive women’s title.

Mingyuan Yang, CHN, goalball
Scored an impressive seven goals in the final of 2019 IBSA Goalball Asia Pacific Championships in Chiba, Japan to help his team claim their fourth title and tickets to Tokyo 2020. Yang also left as the men’s top scorer with 31 goals overall.

Two Chinese male goalballers raise their arms together in celebration

ⒸJapan Goalball Association

The public has until 12:00 (CEST) on Monday (20 January) to vote for the athlete they want to be the Allianz Athlete of the Month for December 2019 via the International Paralympic Committee homepage.

The nominations are compiled from submissions by National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations (IFs).

The 2019 winners are:

January – Jeroen Kampschreur, NED, alpine skiing

February – Yujie Li, CHN, taekwondo

March – Lisa Bunschoten, NED, snowboard

April – Michael Roeger, AUS, athletics

May – Koji Sugeno, JPN, wheelchair tennis

June – Antoni Ponce, ESP, swimming

July – Silvia Biasi, ITA, sitting volleyball

August – Peter Pal Kiss, HUN, canoe

September – Alice Tai, GBR, swimming

October – Barbara Moskal, POL, shooting