The Canadian team earned a third successive gold medal in Sochi to follow their victories at Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010 with Sonja Gaudet having featured in all three of those victories. 

The team were always the favourites for the title last month, but won it the hard way after two defeats in the round-robin stage and a narrow 5-4 win over China in the semi-final, before a more comfortable 8-3 final victory over Russia to secure the gold medal. 

But they will face tough competition if they are to be awarded the Best Team accolade, particularly from Russia, who are represented by an ice sledge hockey team who won silver in Sochi just five years after forming, as well as a Nordic skiing mixed relay team who won the gold medal after thrillingly edging out teams from Sweden and Norway on the final leg. 

Russia's gold medal winning team pictured with President Vladimir Putin following their victory ©AFP/Getty Images


Also nominated is the Swedish team who finished runner-up in the same event with a team consisting of two athletes instead of the permitted four, and ranging in age and experience from 19-year-old Zebastian Modin to 42-year-old Helen Ripa. 

Completing the line-up is the US ice sledge hockey team which completed a successful defence of the title they won in Vancouver after defeating Russia 1-0 in the final in front of a partisan crowd. 

These nominations were compiled from submissions by National Paralympic Committees and International Federations and voting, which can be accessed here, will remain open until April 29.

American ice sledge hockey player Declan Farmer has already been voted the Best Male Athlete and French Alpine skier Marie Bochet the Best Female for March.

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