Related Images

Ukraine's Oleksandra Kononova skies to her latest gold medal at the 2015 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Cable, USA. © • James Netz At the 2014 Open 2.4mR World Championships, Norway’s Bjornar Erikstad beat a number of lesser impaired or able-bodied athletes to secure silver and a place at Rio 2016. © • ISAF The Netherlands' Jiske Griffioen poses her with her trophy after winning her women's wheelchair singles final against Japan's Yui Kamiji at the Australian Open 2015 Wheelchair Championships. © • Getty Images Ben Moore competes in the banked slalom at the 2015 Para-Snowboard World Championships. © • Oriol Molas France's Benjamin Daviet was part of the winning cross-country open relay team that beat champions Russia at Cable 2015. © • James Netz Photography

Five para-athletes and a team have been shortlisted for the Allianz Athlete of the Month poll for January 2015 and the public are now invited to vote for their winner via www.paralympic.org

The nominations for January 2015 are:

Jiske Griffioen, the Netherlands, wheelchair tennis

After almost 14 years on the circuit, 29-year-old Griffioen finally won her first Grand Slam singles title with victory at the Australian Open. She beat Japan’s world No.1 Yui Kamiji in the final 6-3 7-5.

Oleksandra Kononova, Ukraine, Nordic skiing

The 23-year-old was the star of the show at the IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Cable, USA, winning gold in all six individual events she took part in. She also was part of the Ukraine mixed relay team that won silver.

Bjornar Erikstad, Norway, sailing

The 33-year-old claimed only his second ever World Cup win with victory in the 2.4mR in Miami, USA. Although he did not win any of the races, he consistently finished each race in the top three to top the podium.

Andrew Soule, USA, Nordic skiing

On home snow in Cable, USA, Soule made history by winning the most ever medals by a US athlete at the IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships winning three silver and two bronze medals.

Ben Moore, Great Britain, para-snowboard

Has hit top form during this season and made history in Aspen, USA, by winning the first ever snowboard-cross head-to-head. He secured his second World Cup win in the discipline in the upper-limb impairment class days later in Big White, Canada.

France relay team, Nordic skiing

The French cross-country open relay team upset all the odds on the last day of the IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships by defeating Paralympic champions Russia to win gold in the 4x2.5km relay.

The public has until 12:00 (CEST) on Monday 9 February to vote for the athlete they want to be the Allianz Athlete of the Month for January 2015 via the www.paralympic.org homepage.

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

The 2014 winners were:

January – Markus Salcher, Austria, alpine skiing

February – Matti Suur-Hamari, Finland, para-snowboard

March best male – Declan Farmer, USA, ice sledge hockey

March best female – Marie Bochet, France, alpine skiing

March best team – Russia, ice sledge hockey

April – Ali Jawad, Great Britain, powerlifting

May – Aled Davies, Great Britain, athletics

June - Safet Alibasic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, sitting volleyball

July – Markus Rehm, Germany, athletics

August best youngster – Maria Lyle, Great Britain, athletics

August best male – Yevheniy Bohodayko, Ukraine, swimming

August best female - Sarah Morganti, Italy, equestrian

September – Eduardo Avila Sanchez, Mexico, judo

October – Siamand Rahman, Iran, powerlifting

November - Kelsey Diclaudio, USA, ice sledge hockey

December – Daniel Dias, Brazil, swimming