Sunette Viljoen

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.

Sunette Viljoen-Louw

Personal information
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	South Africa (2000–2002)
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
Competition WTest WODI Matches 1 17 Runs scored 88 198 Batting average 44.00 16.50 100s/50s 0/1 0/1 Top score 71 54* Balls bowled – 228 Wickets – 5 Bowling average – 33.20 5 wickets in innings – 0 10 wickets in match – 0 Best bowling – 3/27 Catches/stumpings 0/– 3/–
Source: Cricinfo, 16 February 2022

Sunette Viljoen

Sunette Viljoen in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Sunette Stella Viljoen
Born	(1983-10-06) 6 October 1983 (age 41) Rustenburg, South Africa
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
Country	South Africa
Sport	Athletics
Event	Javelin throw
Medal record Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro Javelin throw World Championships 2011 Daegu Javelin throw 2015 Beijing Javelin throw Commonwealth Games 2006 Melbourne Javelin throw 2010 New Delhi Javelin throw 2014 Glasgow Javelin throw 2018 Gold Coast Javelin throw All-Africa Games 2003 Abuja Javelin throw 2007 Algiers Javelin throw African Games 2019 Rabat Javelin throw African Championships 2004 Brazzaville Javelin throw 2008 Addis Ababa Javelin throw 2010 Nairobi Javelin throw 2014 Marrakech Javelin throw 2016 Durban Javelin throw 2006 Bambous Javelin throw Afro-Asian Games 2003 Hyderabad Javelin throw Universiade 2009 Belgrade Javelin throw 2011 Shenzhen Javelin throw Continental Cup 2010 Split Javelin throw 2014 Marrakech Javelin throw
Updated on 16 September 2019

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.

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 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.^[19]

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

Competition record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
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

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. 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.

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)