Johannesburg - South Africa's countdown to the London Olympic Games started in earnest on Wednesday with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) announcing a 112-member provisional team for the global showpiece in July and August.

Sascoc said athletes who had not yet been included in the team would have until the end of June to add their names to the final list for the SA Olympic squad.

Swimmers formed the largest contingent of the individual sports named in the preliminary team.

Among the 16 swimmers are World Championships bronze medallist Cameron van der Burgh, rising star Chad le Clos and multiple Olympic medallist Roland Schoeman.

Only four are women, with Karin Prinsloo, Kathryn Meaklim, Suzaan van Biljon and Wendy Trott getting the nod.

South Africa will be represented in the men's and women's hockey tournaments after both teams reached Sascoc’s stringent qualifying standards.

The men’s side won their qualifying tournament in Japan last month while the women ensured their Olympic participation in India in February.

Banyana Banyana, meanwhile, will make their debut at the Games after they qualified last year when they drew 1-1 against Ethiopia for a 4-1 aggregate victory in a two-leg tie.

While a number of track and field athletes were still sweating to obtain Olympic qualification, 400m hurdlers Cornel Fredericks and LJ van Zyl, world 800m bronze medallist Caster Semenya and SA javelin throw record holder Sunette Viljoen have already been named in the team.

Of the four athletes, only Viljoen and Van Zyl have participated at previous Olympic Games.

Viljoen will compete in her third Games, having finished 17th in Beijing four years ago, while Van Zyl ended a credible fifth place at his first Games in 2008.

National 50km race walking record holder Marc Mundell will also be participating in his maiden Olympics.

The men’s marathon trio will consist of Lusapho April, Stephen Mokoka and Coolboy Ngamole, while Rene Kalmer, Tanith Maxwell and Irvette van Blerk will toe the line in the women's race.

Siphiwe Lusizi, in the 69kg weight class, and Ayabonga Sonjica, in the 56kg class, are the only boxers in the provisional list.

Canoeist Bridgette Hartley will hope to improve on her previous Games performance in the K1 500m while Tiffany Kruger will by flying the SA flag in the K1 200m event.

Hartley progressed to the semi-finals in the K2 500m at the 2008 Beijing Games and her form in recent years suggests she could be a medal contender.

Among the cyclists in the team, mountainbiker Burry Stander stands out as another of South Africa’s medal contenders. Stander finished 15th in the cross country race in Beijing.

Despite a spate of serious injuries over the last four years, Olympic BMX finalist Sifiso Nhlapo recently qualified for the global showpiece, and was named in the preliminary team. Nhlapo crashed out in the final in Beijing.

AQUATICS
Jean Basson, Charl Crous, Heerden Herman, Chad le Clos, Gideon Louw, Kathryn Meaklim, Graeme Moore, Karin Prinsloo, Sebastien Rousseau, Riaan Schoeman, Roland Schoeman, Leith Shankland, Darian Townsend, Wendy Trott, Suzaan van Biljon, Cameron van der Burgh.
Manager: Shawn Adriaanse, Coaches: Graham Hill and Igor Omeltchenko

ARCHERY
Karen Hultzer
Coach/manager: Johan Steyn

ATHLETICS
Marathon (men): Lusapho April, Stephen Mokoka, Coolboy Ngamole Marathon (women): Rene Kalmer, Tanith Maxwell, Irvette van Blerk. Track and field: Cornel Fredericks, Caster Semenya, Louis Jacobus van Zyl, Sunette Viljoen. 50km race walk: Marc Mundell

BADMINTON
Michelle Edwards, Dorian James, Annari Viljoen, Willem Viljoen
Coach/manager: Stewart Carson

BOXING
Siphiwe Lusizi, Ayabonga Sonjica
Coach/manager: Andile Mofu, Coach: Nkosinathi Hlatshwayo

CANOEING
Bridgitte Hartley, Tiffany Kruger
Manager: Merill King

CYCLING
Road: Darryl Impey, Robyn de Groot, Ashleigh Moolman, Joanna van de Winkel. Mountain bike: Phillip Buys, Candice Neethling, Burry Stander
BMX: Sifiso Nhlapo
Track: Bernard Esterhuizen
Coach/manager: Barry Austin, coach: Jean-Pierre van Zyl, Herve’ Krebs, Jeroen Swart Mechanic: Dylan van der Merwe

EQUESTRIAN
Paul Hart
Coach/manager: Alison Abbey, Groom: Tamsyn Hutchins, Vet: David Ellis

FOOTBALL (women)
Roxanne Barker, Zamandosi Cele, Amanda Dlamini, Judith Hlumbane, Refiloe Jane, Kylie-Ann Louw, Noko Matlou, Andisiwe Mgcoyi, Philadelphia Mndaweni, Portia Modise, Sanah Mollo, Robyn Moodaly, Marry Ntsweng, Nompumelelo Nyandeni, Amanda Sister, Leandra Smeda, Janine van Wyk, Nothando Vilakazi
Manager: Lydia Monyepao, Coach: Joseph Mkhonza, Coach: Matsobane Laka, Technical adviser: Ephraim Mashaba.

HOCKEY (women)
Tarryn Bright, Dirkie Chamberlain, Pietie Coetzee, Bernadette Coston, Sulette Damons, Illse Davids, Lisa-Marie Deetlefs, Lesle-Ann George, Lenise Marais, Marsha Marescia, Mariette Rix, Shelley Russell, Kathleen Taylor, Nicolene Terblanche, Jennifer Wilson, Kate Woods
Coach: Giles Bonnet, Coach: Fabian Gregory, Video analyst: Adrian Carolan

HOCKEY (men)
Andrew Cronje, Timothy Drummond, Ian Haley, Rhett Halkett, Marvin Harper, Julian Hykes, Lance Louw, Lloyd Madsen, Thornton McDade, Lloyd Norris-Jones, Taine Paton, Wade Paton, Erasmus Pieterse, Justin Reid-Ross, Jonathan Robinson, Austin Smith
Manager: Anton van Rooyen, Coach: Gregg Clark, Coach Kurt Cerfonteyn, Video Analyst: Moabi Malebye

JUDO
Gideon van Zyl
Coach/manager: Nikola Filipov

ROWING
Men’s lightweight cox less four: Matthew Brittain, Lawrence Ndlovu, John Smith, James Thompson Women’s Pair: Lee-Ann Persse, Naydene Smith
Coach/manager: Roger Barrow, Coach: Paul Jackson

SAILING
Asenathi Jim, Roger Hudson
Coach/manager: David Hudson

SHOOTING
Alistair Davis
Coach/manager: Frank Davis

TRIATHLON
Richard Murray, Kate Roberts, Gillian Sanders
Coach/manager: Lindsey Parry

VOLLEYBALL (beach)
Freedom Chiya, Grant Goldschmidt
Coach/manager: Gershon Rorich

WEIGHTLIFTING
Jean Greeff
Coach/manager: Aveenash Pandoo

GENERAL TEAM MANAGEMENT
Chef de Mission: Francis Maleka
Project manager: Ezera Tshabangu
Manager (Operations): Patience Shikwambana, Manager (Athlete Services): Leon Fleiser Athlete Services: Victoria Hlatshwayo Manager (Logistics): Isaac Mdaka Logistics: Joanne Myers

MEDICAL
Chief medical officer: Kevin Subban
Chief physiotherapist: Bafana Sihlali
Medical doctors: Phathokuhle Cele, Louis Holthausen
Physiotherapists: Caren Fleishman, Tamlyn Guest, Nhlanhla Maphanga, Hendrick Maree, Fikile Phasha, Tanushree Pillay, Louise-Ann Rivett, Nandhakumar Viranna