Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Sunette Stella Viljoen-Louw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1983-10-06) 6 October 1983 (age 41) Rustenburg, Transvaal, South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Batter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
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Only Test (cap 36) | 19 March 2002 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ODI debut (cap 26) | 20 June 2000 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last ODI | 16 March 2002 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002/03 | North West | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004/05 | Gauteng | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006/07 | Limpopo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021/22–2022/23 | Northerns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022/23–present | Central Gauteng | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 16 February 2022 |
Sunette Stella Viljoen-Louw (born 6 October 1983) 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) 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.
Early life and cricket career
Viljoen was born in Rustenburg, Transvaal (present-day North West). She attended Die Hoërskool Rustenburg and her first language is Afrikaans. Viljoen made her international cricket debut for South Africa in June 2000, in a One Day International (ODI) match against England. 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). 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. Against Ireland in a later match, she took 3/27 from ten overs, the best bowling figures of her international career. Viljoen's final international matches for South Africa came in March 2002, in a home series against India. 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).
In December 2021, Viljoen made a return to cricket, joining Northerns with the aim of playing for her country again.
Athletics career
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. On 14 June 2010, she broke her own record with 66.38 m at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague.
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. She improved her own African record to 69.35m at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City in June 2012 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.
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. Viljoen won a silver medal, coming in second to Israel's Marharyta Dorozhon, at the IAAF Diamond League Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, on 11 June 2015.
Viljoen won the silver medal in the women's javelin at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
Competition record
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
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Representing South Africa | |||||
2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 16th (q) | 56.78 m | |
All-Africa Games | Abuja, Nigeria | 3rd | 51.68 m | ||
Afro-Asian Games | Hyderabad, India | 1st | 55.49 m | ||
2004 | African Championships | Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo | 1st | 60.13 m | |
Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 35th (q) | 54.45 m | ||
2005 | Universiade | İzmir, Turkey | 12th | 51.09 m | |
2006 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 1st | 60.72 m | |
African Championships | Bambous, Mauritius | 2nd | 55.64 m | ||
2007 | All-Africa Games | Algiers, Algeria | 3rd | 54.46 m | |
Universiade | Bangkok, Thailand | 5th | 58.39 m | ||
2008 | African Championships | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 1st | 55.17 m | |
Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 33rd (q) | 55.58 m | ||
2009 | Universiade | Belgrade, Serbia | 1st | 62.52 m | |
World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 18th (q) | 56.83 m | ||
2010 | African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 1st | 63.33 m | |
Commonwealth Games | Delhi, India | 1st | 62.34 m | ||
2011 | Universiade | Shenzhen, China | 1st | 66.47 m | |
World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 2nd | 68.38 m | ||
2012 | Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 4th | 64.53 m | |
2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 6th | 63.58 m | |
2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 2nd | 63.19 m | |
African Championships | Marrakech, Morocco | 1st | 65.32 m | ||
2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 3rd | 65.79 m | |
2016 | African Championships | Durban, South Africa | 1st | 64.08 m | |
Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2nd | 64.92 m | ||
2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | 3rd | 62.08 m | |
2019 | African Games | Rabat, Morocco | 3rd | 53.44 m | |
World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 17th (q) | 60.10 m |
References
- 2014 CWG profile
- "Sunette VILJOEN". Olympics.com. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- South Africa / Players / Sunnette Viljoen – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- "Rustenburg is proud of Sunette Viljoen!", Rusties. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- Noni Mokati,
- ^ Women's ODI matches played by Sunnette Viljoen – CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- Records / Women's One-Day Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Youngest players – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- Statistics / Statsguru / S Viljoen / Women's One-Day Internationals / Batting – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- Statistics / Statsguru / S Viljoen / Women's One-Day Internationals / Bowling – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- 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.
- "Olympian Sunette Viljoen returns to cricket after 19 years gap as she signs with Titans". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- IAAF, 8 July 2009: 65.46m African record in the Javelin Throw for Viljoen in Belgrade – World University Games Day 1
- "Viljoen breaks African record". sport24.co.za. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
- Bob Ramsak (2 September 2011). "Daegu 2011 - Day 7 SUMMARY - 2 September". iaaf.org. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- "Women's Javelin Throw". Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
- "Sunette Viljoen Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- "javelin throw women results - Athletics - London 2012 Olympics". www.olympic.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- Jon Mulkeen (14 August 2014). "Viljoen wins fourth African title, more gold for Mokoena and Chepkirui". iaaf.org. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- Mike Rowbottom (13 June 2015). "Dorozhon cautiously optimistic of her medal chances in Beijing". iaaf.org.
- "Former cricketer Sunnette Viljoen bags silver in javelin at Olympics". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
External links
- Sunette Viljoen at World Athletics
- Sunette Viljoen at Diamond League
- Sunette Viljoen at ESPNcricinfo
- Sunette Viljoen at Olympics.com
- Sunette Viljoen at Olympedia
- Sunette Viljoen at CricketArchive (subscription required)
Commonwealth Games champions in women's javelin throw | |
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World University Games champions in women's javelin throw | |
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IAAF World / Continental Cup champions in women's javelin throw | |
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African Champions in women's javelin throw | |
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South Africa squad – 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup semi-finalists | ||
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- 1983 births
- Living people
- Afrikaner people
- South African people of Dutch descent
- South African female javelin throwers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for South Africa
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games gold medallists for South Africa
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for South Africa
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- South African women cricketers
- South Africa women Test cricketers
- South Africa women One Day International cricketers
- North West women cricketers
- Central Gauteng women cricketers
- Limpopo women cricketers
- Northerns women cricketers
- World Athletics Championships medalists
- Sportspeople from Rustenburg
- World Athletics Championships athletes for South Africa
- South African lesbian sportswomen
- LGBTQ cricketers
- LGBTQ track and field athletes
- Olympic silver medalists for South Africa
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
- African Games bronze medalists for South Africa
- African Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Olympic female javelin throwers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 All-Africa Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 All-Africa Games
- FISU World University Games gold medalists for South Africa
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2019 African Games
- IAAF Continental Cup winners
- South African Athletics Championships winners
- Medalists at the 2009 Summer Universiade
- Medalists at the 2011 Summer Universiade
- Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
- Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
- Diamond League winners