The entries have been reviewed and six nominations have been shortlisted. The six are (in alphabetical order):

  • Sarah Bishop (RSA)
  • Sarah Bourke (AUS)
  • James Cook (GBR)
  • Athenkosi  Hlenkani  (RSA)
  • Zhisong Hu (CHN)
  • Andrew Darby Smith (GBR)

The panel of judges, comprising New Zealand’s Olympic single sculls champion Mahe Drysdale, Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Jean-Marc Jacot and FISA President Denis Oswald, will now decide the winner.

“The quality of the nominations we received has been outstanding,” said Oswald. “It is heart-warming to read of the extraordinary work that has been done on a voluntary basis by these young university rowers, who have given hundreds of hours of their time and expertise to help others. The Parmigiani Spirit Award is a wonderful way to recognise this.”

The Award will be made to a university rower who has demonstrated the core values of rowing in his/her social, academic and sporting life and, through those values, also enabled or inspired exceptional success in other people’s lives – for example in education, business, sports or charity.

The winner of the Award will receive a hand-crafted Parmigiani Fleurier watch and the winner’s club will be presented with a top-of-the-range Filippi racing eight boat to be named “Parmigiani Spirit 2013”.

Parmigiani Fleurier is a Swiss watchmaker of unique, hand-crafted timepieces. A common philosophy lies at the basis of the partnership between World Rowing and Parmigiani Fleurier which was forged in 2012. Precision, coordination and elegance are similar qualities that are needed both in the sport of rowing and in the craftsmanship of each unique Parmigiani timepiece.

Visit http://www.worldrowing.com/parmigiani-awards for details of the shortlisted nominations.