With the Olympics set to take place in Brazil between August 5 and 21, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) named the Olympians who will travel to Rio in order to represent the country in a variety of sporting codes.
The sports in which team South Africa will have a presence thus far include cycling, sailing, gymnastics and canoeing, while athletics and swimming will enjoy a strong South African contingent.
The South Africans placed 23rd overall on the medals table at the London Olympics in 2012, returning from the global multi-sport event having earned three gold, two silver and one bronze medal thanks to successes on the athletics track, in the pool and in the rowing finals at Dorney Lake.
South Africa will also be represented by the men and women’s football teams, who have qualified to take part at Rio 2016, as well as the Rugby Sevens men’s team.
The list below reveals the first 24 South African athletes, sportsmen and women who have qualified to represent the rainbow nation at this year’s Summer Games. Other South African Olympians will be added to the list as they qualify in coming months.
South African Olympic Squad thus far:
Athletics (provisional squad for the marathons)
Mens Marathon: Lusapho April, Sibusiso Nzima, Lungile Gongqa
Womens Marathon: Irvette Van Zyl, Christina Kalmer, Diana Lebo Phalula
Cycling
Mens Road Race: Daryl Impey, Louis Meintjes
Canoeing
Womens: Bridgitte Hartley
Gymnastics
Mens Artistic Gymnastics: Ryan Patterson
Sailing
Stefano Marcia, Asenathi Jim, Roger Hudson
Aquatics
Swimming Mens: Cameron Van de Burgh, Chad Le Clos, Michael Meyer, Sebastien Rousseau, Bradley Tandy, Christopher Reid, Matthew Meyer, Jarred Crous, Myles Brown, Douglas Erasmus
Diving (women’s)Julia Vincent