National Olympic Committees voted for the winner from five candidates on the opening day of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) seminar.

The top five was revealed at a gala dinner, organised by the Serbian Olympic Committee.

Bened was confirmed as the winner of the prize, named after former Polish Olympic Committee President Nurowski, who died in 2010 in a plane crash in Russia.

The French biathlete finished in third place in the International Biathlon Union Junior Women's Cup this season.

She earned gold as part of France's women's relay team at the Junior World Championships in Estonia.

Bened was also a gold, silver and bronze medallist at the Winter European Youth Olympic Festival last year in Erzurum, Turkey.

Her reward is a €15,000 (£13,000/$17,800) scholarship, with the French youngster also receiving a first place trophy.

Sweden's freestyle skier Jennie Lee Burmansson was named as the runner-up, with the 15-year-old set to receive €8,000 (£7,000/$9,500).

Burmansson became Sweden’s youngest ever winter Olympian at Pyeongchang 2018, where she finished eighth in the women’s slopestyle final.

She starred on the World Cup circuit, securing the overall title after one victory and three further podium finishes, along with clinching a Winter X Games bronze medal.

The top three was completed by Poland's Karolina Bosiek, another Pyeongchang 2018 Olympian.

She represented her country in speed skating at the Games in February.

Bosiek earned a €5,000 (£4,300/$5,900) prize for her achievement.

German figure skater Annika Hocke, who made her Winter Olympic debut at Pyeongchang 2018, and Peter Murphy of Luxembourg were awarded joint fourth place.

Both athletes will receive €3,000 (£2,600/$3,500).

The prizes recognise up-and-coming young athletes.

The winter award is presented at the annual EOC seminar, while the summer prize is handed out at the organisation's General Assembly later in the year.

National Olympic Committees were encouraged to put forward their athletes, before a shortlist of five youngsters was selected.

Performances at competitions were taken into consideration, but also candidate's behaviour, actions and conduct in the fields of fair play, friendship, Olympic culture and values were also claimed to have been judged.

Since the summer award at the EOC General Assembly in Zagreb last year, not only the winner but all the of the best five European young athletes are awarded with a trophy and a scholarship.

To be eligible for the winter prize, athletes must be aged 18 or under by December 31 this year.

Estonian freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru won the winter prize last year.

Italian cyclist Letizia Paternoster earned the summer award for 2017.