Kask competed in at total of seven Paralympics as a member of both the Swedish ice sledge hockey at the Winter Paralympics and sitting volleyball teams at the Summer Games.

His finest in sport undoubtedly came when he featuredas part of the phenomenal Swedish gold medal winning ice sledge hockey team at the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Games.

For many years, Kask was captain of the team Swedish ice sledge hockey team and he went on to lead the team to further Paralympic success as he took them to a bronze medal in at the Nagano 1998 Games and then replicated the feat with another bronze medal in at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games.

Last year, Kask received the honour of carrying the Swedish flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games and he will be sorely missed by all those involved in Paralympic sport.

He had been paralysed since the age of 10 after he was electrocuted while playing on top of a train carriage. 

Kask was badly burnt in the incident and had to have both his legs amputated.

An International Paralympic Committee (IPC) statement said: "The International Paralympic Committee is saddened to learn about the recent death of Swedish Paralympian Jens Kask at the age of 44.

"One great Paralympic athlete has left the Paralympic family."

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