Cape Town - Team South Africa will have 137 athletes contesting 14 sporting codes in the hunt for gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics in August.
South Africa’s best chances of grabbing medals will be in athletics, swimming and rugby sevens, where a star-studded line-up of athletes were included in the final line-up that was announced by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Among the big names in the athletics team are 800m star Caster Semenya, 400m world champion Wayde van Niekerk and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen.
The swimming team will be headed by 2012 London Olympic medallists Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh, while Juan de Jongh was the only 15-man Springbok included in the Blitzboks’ 12-man group for Rio.
Two Bafana Bafana stalwarts, goalkeeper and captain Itumeleng Khune and defender Erick Mathoho, are two over-aged players that are allowed to be picked in the SA Under-23 for the trip to Brazil.
“You have all earned the ultimate honour of representing your country,” Sascoc president Gideon Sam said on Thursday. “We have every faith in you excelling at your various events. Attending the Olympics is the pinnacle of a sportsman’s dream. Go and showcase the rainbow nation to the best of your ability.”
Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy was named as the chef de mission for Team SA. “Congratulations to all athletes who have had the honour to be selected as part of Team South Africa and compete in this prestigious sporting event,” he said. “We’re confident that the team is the crème de la crème of sporting talent, with most of them having represented the country in international sporting events previously.
“We therefore wish them well and as the Olympic body we will rally behind you all the way. Do the country proud and go well.”
South African Olympic Team
AQUATICS
Diving: Julia Vincent
Marathon swim: Michelle Weber, Chad Ho
Men: Chad le Clos, Jarred Crous, Dylan Bosch, Calvyn Justus, Cameron van der Burgh, Sebastien Rousseau, Michael Meyer, Christopher Reid, Matthew Meyer, Myles Brown, Bradley Tandy, Douglas Erasmus
Managers/Coaches: Shawn Adriaanse, Graham Hill, Dean Price, Cedric Finch, Igor Omeltchenko, William Sherritt, Alasdair Hatfield
ATHLETICS
Women (marathon): Irvette van Zyl, Christine Kalmer, Lebo Phalula
Men (marathon): Lusapho April, Sibusiso Mzima, Lungile Gongqa
Women: Carina Horn, Alyssa Conley, Tsholofelo Thipe, Justine Palframan, Caster Semenya, Wenda Nel, Dominique Scott, Lynique Prinsloo, Sunette Viljoen, Anel Oosthuizen
Men: Akani Simbine, Henricho Bruintjies, Gift Leotlela, Clarence Munyai, Anaso Jobodwana, Wayde van Niekerk, Jacob Rozani, Rynhardt van Rensburg, Elroy Gelant, Stephen Mokoka, Antonio Alkana, Lindsay Hanekom, LJ van Zyl, Le Roux Hamman, Ruswahl Samaai, Luvo Manyonga, Stefan Brits, Khotso Mokoena, Rocco van Rooyen, Willem Coertzen, Lebogang Shange, Wayne Snyman, Marc Mundell
Managers/Coaches: Irma Reyneke, Paul Gorries, Terseus Liebenberg, Maryna van Niekerk, Pieter Lourens, James Moloi
BADMINTON
Men: Jacob Maliekal. Manager/Coach: Chris Dedman
CANOEING
Women: Bridgitte Hartley. Manager/Coach: Craig Mustard
CYCLING
Women: An-Li Kachelhoffer, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
Men: Daryl Impey, Louis Meintjes, Kyle Dodd, Alan Hatherly, James Reid
Manager/Coach/Mechanics: Brett Coates, Jonnathan Chislett, Carl Pasio, Douglas Ryder, JP Jacobs, Gary Blem
EQUESTRIAN
Women: Tanya Seymour. Manager/Coach: Ingeborg Sanne
Groom: Kirsty Taylor
FOOTBALL
Women: Roxanne Barker, Amanda Dlamini, Andile Dlamini, Refiloe Jane, Bambanani Mbane, Mamello Makhabane, Stephanie Malherbe, Noko Matlou, Sanah Mollo, Robyn Moodaly, Linda Motlhalo, Octavia Nogwanya, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Lebohang Ramalepe, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Leandra Smeda, Janine Van Wyk, Nothando Vilakazi
Managers/Coaches: Barney Kujane, Vera Pauw, Desiree Ellis, Francis Chansa, Shilene Margaret Booysen
Men: Jody February, Itumeleng Khune, Ishmael Mngonyama, Rivaldo Coetzee, Abbubaker Mobara, Mothobi Mvala, Erick Mathoho, Tebogo Moerane, Tercious Malepe, Gift Motupa, Maphosa Modiba, Deolin Mekoa, Phumlani Ntshangase, Keagan Dolly, Tyroane Sandows, Lebogang Mothiba, Menzi Masuka, Tashreeq Morris
Managers/Coaches: Levy Ramajoe, Owen da Gama, Thabo Senong, Predikumar Bhaktawer, Simone Conley
GOLF
Women: Paula Reto, Ashleigh Simon
Men: Brandon Stone, Jaco van Zyl
Golf Caddies: Chris Simmons, Jason Reynolds, Deon Flowers, David Buhai
Manager/Coach: Gary Player
GYMNASTICS
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics: Ryan Patterson. Manager/Coach: Jonathan Okada
JUDO
Men: Zack Piontek. Manager/Coach: Nikola Filipov
ROWING
Women: Kirsten McCann, Kate Christowitz, Ursula Grobler, Lee-Ann Persse
Men: James Thompson, John Smith, Shaun Keeling, Lawrence Brittain, Jake Green, David Hunt, Vincent Breet, Jonathan Smith
Manager/Coach: Roger Barrow, Andrew Grant, Paul Jackson
RUGBY SEVENS
Men: Dylan Sage, Philip Snyman, Tim Agaba, Kwagga Smith, Werner Kok, Kyle Brown, Cheslin Kolbe, Rosko Specman, Justin Geduld, Cecil Afrika, Seabelo Senatla, Juan de Jongh
Manager/Coach: Ashley Evert, Neil Powell, Renfred Dazel, Alan Temple-Jones.
SAILING
Men: Stefano Marcia, Asenathi Jim, Roger Hudson. Manager/Coach: Brevan Thompson
TRIATHLON
Women: Gillian Sanders, Mari Rabie
Men: Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman
Manager/Coach: Kate Roberts, Lindsey Parry
MEDICAL TEAM
Chief Medical Officer: Dr Kevin Subban. Doctors: Danielle Lincoln; Paul Maphoto, Karen Schwabe. Chief Physiotherapist: Grace Hughes. Physiotherapists: Hugh Everson, Ashleigh Hansen, Collin Hill, Avilarsh Lukhan, Given Motha, Hendrik Maree, Rannoa Ntseke, Eva Ramashala and Sandhya Silal - Independent Media
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