Sunette Viljoen

Last updated

Sunette Viljoen-Louw
Sunette Viljoen 2010.jpg
Personal information
Full name
Sunette Stella Viljoen-Louw
Born (1983-10-06) 6 October 1983 (age 41)
Rustenburg, Transvaal, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Role Batter
International information
National side
Only Test(cap  36)19 March 2002 v  India
ODI debut(cap  26)20 June 2000 v  England
Last ODI16 March 2002 v  India
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2016 Rio de Janeiro Javelin throw
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2011 Daegu Javelin throw
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2015 Beijing Javelin throw
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2006 Melbourne Javelin throw
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 New Delhi Javelin throw
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Glasgow Javelin throw
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2018 Gold Coast Javelin throw
All-Africa Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2003 Abuja Javelin throw
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2007 Algiers Javelin throw
African Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2019 Rabat Javelin throw
African Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 Brazzaville Javelin throw
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Addis Ababa Javelin throw
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Nairobi Javelin throw
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2014 Marrakech Javelin throw
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 Durban Javelin throw
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Bambous Javelin throw
Afro-Asian Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2003 Hyderabad Javelin throw
Universiade
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2009 Belgrade Javelin throw
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2011 Shenzhen Javelin throw
Continental Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2010 Split Javelin throw
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Marrakech Javelin throw
Updated on 16 September 2019

Sunette Stella Viljoen-Louw (born 6 October 1983) [1] is a South African sportswoman who has represented her country in both cricket and athletics. In athletics, she competes as a javelin thrower and has won an Olympic silver medal (in 2016) [2] and two Commonwealth Games gold medals (in 2006 and 2010), as well as medals in various other competitions. As a cricketer, she represented the South African national team between 2000 and 2002, including at the 2000 World Cup in New Zealand.

Contents

Early life and cricket career

Viljoen was born in Rustenburg, Transvaal (present-day North West). [3] She attended Die Hoërskool Rustenburg and her first language is Afrikaans. [4] [5] Viljoen made her international cricket debut for South Africa in June 2000, in a One Day International (ODI) match against England. [6] She was 17 years and 10 days old at the time, becoming the youngest woman to play ODI cricket for South Africa (a record since broken by several others). [7] Later in the year, Viljoen was selected in the South African squad for the 2000 Women's World Cup in New Zealand. A right-handed all-rounder, she appeared in all eight of her team's matches at the tournament, and against England scored 54 not out, which was to be the highest score of her ODI career. [8] Against Ireland in a later match, she took 3/27 from ten overs, the best bowling figures of her international career. [9] Viljoen's final international matches for South Africa came in March 2002, in a home series against India. [6] She played four ODIs and the only Test match of her career, in which she scored 17 runs in the first innings and 71 in the second (the third-highest score of the match). [10]

In December 2021, Viljoen made a return to cricket, joining Northerns with the aim of playing for her country again. [11]

Athletics career

Viljoen at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Sunette Viljoen Daegu 2011.jpg
Viljoen at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Viljoen won gold at the 2009 Summer Universiade in Belgrade, throwing 62.52 metres. At the qualifying round, she set a new African record 65.46 metres, eclipsing her compatriot Justine Robbeson's record 63.49m achieved in Potchefstroom in February 2008. Viljoen's throw was over three meters further than her previous PB of 62.24 m achieved also at the February 2008 meeting in Potchefstroom. [12] On 14 June 2010, she broke her own record with 66.38 m at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague. [13]

Viljoen won silver at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Korea on 2 September 2011. With a throw of 68.38m, she also set a new African record. [14] She improved her own African record to 69.35m at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City in June 2012 [15] Having failed to reach the final at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, she finished fourth at the 2012 Summer Olympics, only 0.38 cm off the bronze medal-winning mark. [16] [17]

At the 2013 World Championships in Athletics, which was held in Moscow, Viljoen took only the 6th place with a mark of 63.58 meters. In 2014, she placed second at the Commonwealth Games. Later that year she won the African Championships with a result of 65.32m. [18] Viljoen came second to Israel's Marharyta Dorozhon, at the IAAF Diamond League Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, on 11 June 2015. [19]

Viljoen won the silver medal in the women's javelin at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. [20]

Competition record

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2003 World Championships Paris, France16th (q) 56.78 m
All-Africa Games Abuja, Nigeria3rd 51.68 m
Afro-Asian Games Hyderabad, India1st 55.49 m
2004 African Championships Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo1st 60.13 m
Olympic Games Athens, Greece35th (q) 54.45 m
2005 Universiade İzmir, Turkey12th 51.09 m
2006 Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia1st 60.72 m
African Championships Bambous, Mauritius2nd 55.64 m
2007 All-Africa Games Algiers, Algeria3rd 54.46 m
Universiade Bangkok, Thailand5th 58.39 m
2008 African Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia1st 55.17 m
Olympic Games Beijing, China33rd (q) 55.58 m
2009 Universiade Belgrade, Serbia1st 62.52 m
World Championships Berlin, Germany18th (q) 56.83 m
2010 African Championships Nairobi, Kenya1st 63.33 m
Commonwealth Games Delhi, India1st 62.34 m
2011 Universiade Shenzhen, China1st 66.47 m
World Championships Daegu, South Korea2nd 68.38 m
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom4th 64.53 m
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia6th 63.58 m
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom2nd 63.19 m
African Championships Marrakech, Morocco1st 65.32 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China3rd 65.79 m
2016 African Championships Durban, South Africa1st 64.08 m
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil2nd 64.92 m
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia3rd 62.08 m
2019 African Games Rabat, Morocco3rd 53.44 m
World Championships Doha, Qatar17th (q) 60.10 m

References

  1. 2014 CWG profile
  2. "Sunette VILJOEN". Olympics.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  3. South Africa / Players / Sunnette Viljoen – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. "Rustenburg is proud of Sunette Viljoen!", Rusties. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. Noni Mokati,
  6. 1 2 Women's ODI matches played by Sunnette Viljoen – CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  7. Records / Women's One-Day Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Youngest players – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  8. Statistics / Statsguru / S Viljoen / Women's One-Day Internationals / Batting – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. Statistics / Statsguru / S Viljoen / Women's One-Day Internationals / Bowling – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  10. India Women tour of South Africa, Only Test: South Africa Women v India Women at Paarl, Mar 19-22, 2002 – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. "Olympian Sunette Viljoen returns to cricket after 19 years gap as she signs with Titans". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  12. IAAF, 8 July 2009: 65.46m African record in the Javelin Throw for Viljoen in Belgrade – World University Games Day 1
  13. "Viljoen breaks African record". sport24.co.za. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
  14. Bob Ramsak (2 September 2011). "Daegu 2011 - Day 7 SUMMARY - 2 September". iaaf.org. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  15. "Women's Javelin Throw". Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  16. "Sunette Viljoen Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  17. "javelin throw women results - Athletics - London 2012 Olympics". www.olympic.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  18. Jon Mulkeen (14 August 2014). "Viljoen wins fourth African title, more gold for Mokoena and Chepkirui". iaaf.org. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  19. Mike Rowbottom (13 June 2015). "Dorozhon cautiously optimistic of her medal chances in Beijing". iaaf.org.
  20. "Former cricketer Sunnette Viljoen bags silver in javelin at Olympics". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.