Johannesburg - SASCOC president Gideon Sam on Thursday confirmed the provisional 2012 Olympic and Paralympic training squads as part of the Road to London campaign.

Sam told a media briefing the early identification of provisional squads was a first for South Africa's Olympic and Paralympic challenge and showed the intent to achieve on 12 Olympic medals and a top five Paralympic placing in London in 2012.

"The Federations have identified talent they believe are potential medal winners, not only in 2012 but also in 2016," said Sam.

"I said at the outset of the Road to London campaign there will be no passengers and we will invest in excellence. This is the start of journey, but it is definitely not the end.

"The individuals within the two squads will be evaluated throughout the year and the option is there to increase both squads.

"If athletes don't deliver in the build-up to 2012 there is no guarantee they will make the respective Games' squads."

Athletics and swimming, traditionally the two strongest codes, make up the bulk of the squads but Sam said individuals from lesser profiled codes had been identified, and that there were also fringe athletes who would be monitored.

"We have put our faith in the respective Federations as this is a programme designed to benefit each Federation.

"Funds have been made available from the National Lottery to specifically prepare our Olympic and Paralympic campaign and that includes the funding of the two respective provisional squads.

"It is a big day in our Olympic and Paralympic history and for the athlete it is a good news story. We are on track. I promised a squad before June and I believe we are a couple of days ahead of our deadline,' said Sam.

SASCOC's High Performance team will in the next two months engage with each athlete, the respective Federation's High Performance team and the athlete's support team to agree on specific plans per individual that hopefully translate into a successful 2012 performance.

Top 16 Olympians and Top 8 Paralympians (in terms of world ranking) were assessed in determining the make-up of the two squads, and SASCOC CEO Tubby Reddy said provision had been made to increase the squad, depending on athlete performance.

"SASCOC will be responsible for the financial support of these two squads and the funding, approved by the National Lottery, is separate from the R400 million National Lottery funding agreed on earlier in the year for identified Federations.

"With regard to the R400 million it must be understood that each of the identified Federations control their respective spend, and that the R400 million goes directly from the National Lottery to the Federation," said Reddy.

Boxing is not represented in the squads announced on Thursday, as identification would only be completed after the African Championships, which will be held in Mauritius in the last week of July.

Reddy said that swimmer Suzann van Biljon had opted to focus on her studies and was not available for selection and that her situation would be monitored. The same applied to canoeist Jennifer Hodson.

Reddy also singled out young swimmers Jessica Pengelly and Jessica Liss as being on the SASCOC radar, despite not being included in the initial squads.

‘We have criteria that they have not yet met, but we are confident both will be there sooner rather than later," said Reddy.

"Team sports were also not represented at this stage and an assessment would be made on team sports following the 2010 Commonwealth Games."

SASCOC had also not included any individual who had not been nominated by a Federation.

Olympic squad:

(Tier 1 – Potential medallists)

Athletics - Men Willem Coertzen (decathlon) Khotso Mokoena (long jump) Mbualeni Mulaudzi (800m) Ruben Ramolefi (3000m steeplechase)
Women - Janice Josephs (long jump) Caster Semenya (800m) Tsholofelo Thipe (400m) Sunette Viljoen (javelin)

Canoeing, Men - Shaun Rubenstein (flatwater) Women Bridgitte Hartley (flatwater)

Cycling, Men - Sifiso Nhlapo (BMX) Burry Stander (mountain biking)

Rowing, Men Ramon Di Clemente (coxless) Shaun Keeling (coxless)

Swimming, Men - Jean Basson (200m freestyle) Roland Schoeman (50m freestyle) Darian Townsend (200IM) Cameron van der Burgh (100m breaststroke)

(Tier 2 – Athletes whom with the given support will be able to improve their ranking and medal at London 2012)

Athletics, Men - Johan Cronje (1500m) Andre Olivier (800m) Robert Oosthuizen (javelin) Janus Robberts (shot put) Hezekiel Sepeng (800m) Juan van Deventer (1500m)

Sailing, Women - Penny Alison (Yngling) Belinda Kim Rew (Yngling) Dominique Provoyeur (Yngling)

Swimming, Men - William Diering (200m breaststroke) Lyndon Ferns (100m freestyle) Gideon Louw (50m freestyle) Riaan Schoeman (400 IM) Neil Versfeld (200m breaststroke) Gerhard Zandberg (100m backstroke)
Women - Kathryn Meaklim (400 IM) Wendy Trott (800m freestyle)

Taekwondo, Men - Duncan Mahlangu

Tennis, Men - Jeff Coetzee (doubles) Wesley Moodie (doubles)

Wrestling, Men Heinrich Barnes (freestyle)

Paralympic squad:

Potential Medallists

Athletics, Men - Arnu Fourie (100m T44) Hilton Langenhoven (long jump T13) Michael Louwrens (shot put F57) Tebogo Mokgalagadi (200m T35) Nicholas Newman (javelin F36) Jonathan Ntutu (100m T13) Oscar Pistorius (400m T44) David Roos (long jump F46) Marius Stander (400m T38) Duane Strydom (discus F36) Fanie van der Merwe (200m T37) Ernst van Dyk (T54)
Women - Ilse Hayes (long jump F13) Zanele Situ (javelin F54) Chenelle van Zyl (discus F35)

Cycling, Men - Roxy Burns (CP4 time-trial and individual pursuit) Janos Plekker (CP5 time-trial and road event) Ernst van Dyk (HC1 hand cycling, road event, time trial)

Equestrian, Women Philippa Johnson

Swimming, Men Charl Bouwer (400m S13) Kevin Paul (100m SB9) Tadgh Slattery (100m SB5)
Women Natalie du Toit (S9) Shireen Sapiro (100m S10) Sarah Shannon (50m S3)