Share

Viljoen hurls her way to silver medal

Cape Town - Sunette Viljoen took silver in the javelin for Team South Africa at the Rio Olympics, putting four years of heartache to bed.

In London in 2012, Viljoen watched in agony as the bronze medal slipped through her fingers with the final throw of the competition.

In Rio however, things were different.

Taking the lead (64.92m) with her very first throw, Viljoen's mark held up until the fourth round of throws (of six) before Croatia's Sara Kolak sent the javelin soaring out to 66.18m to claim gold.

Silver was the very least Viljoen, a stalwart in South African Olympic and World Championship teams, deserved.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2240 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE