Unfinished business for Viljoen

Cape Town - Maggie Malone of the US, Christina Obergfoll of Germany, Croatia's Sara Kolak and Tatsiana Khaladovich of Belarus will arguably be among South African Sunette Viljoen's staunchest competition, come the qualification rounds of the women's javelin throw at the Rio Games this week.

Viljoen, effectively, has unfinished Olympic business after narrowly missing out on a medal in London four years ago. She threw the world-leading distance in 2012, but failed to perform up to that standard in England.

So far this season, only Khaladovich  has recorded a distance greater than that the 65.14 metres Viljoen threw in Doha in May.

The 32-year-old Viljoen faces a very competitive field though, which also includes IAAF Diamond League javelin leader, Latvian Madara Palameika and Australia's Kathryn Mitchell, who has shown great consistency heading into Rio.

This will likely be Viljoen's last chance to win Olympic gold - and she certainly possesses the potential to claim the ultimate prize, if she performs anywhere near her best.