Zimbabwean Olympic rower Micheen Thornycroft has been announced as the winner of the 2017 World Rowing (FISA) Filippi Spirit Award.

Olympian Micheen Thornycroft is set to lead the Zimbabwean team for the first time at a major event at the African Rowing Championships in Tunis.

It’s a truism that every Olympic sport, and indeed every aspiring Olympic sport, wants to grow. You don’t hear a lot of International Federation Presidents talking in urgent tones about the need to reduce participation. But the question of growth is complex – does it mean more people, or does it mean people doing better?

Zimbabwe are expected to send one of their largest delegations to a Summer Olympic Games, with a projected team size of 32 for Rio 2016 after a series of impressive qualification performances.