Ben Tudhope has been named International Paralympic Committee Allianz Athlete of the Month for December ©Getty Images

Australian snowboarder Ben Tudhope has been named International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Allianz Athlete of the Month for December.

The 20-year-old received 43 per cent of the vote in an online poll on the IPC website.

He receives the prize after winning two snowboard cross gold medals at the World Cup in Pyha in Finland.

His victories were poignant ones as his coach, Mikko Wendelin, died suddenly just a week before.

Tudhope, a World Championship silver medallist, is a double Winter Paralympian and appeared at Sochi 2014 aged just 14.

Chinese goalballer Mingyuan Yang finished second in the public vote, with a 28 per cent share.

Ben Tudhope was only 14 when he appeared at the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics ©Getty Images
 Ben Tudhope was only 14 when he appeared at the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics ©Getty Images

Norwegian cross-country skier Vilde Nilsen, Morocco's blind footballer Zouhair Snisla and Japanese goalballer Haruka Wakasugi were also nominated.

Nominations for the monthly prize are compiled from submissions by National Paralympic Committees and International Federations, before the public vote.

Australians have now won for two months in a row, after wheelchair basketball player Shaun Norris scooped the November award.