The international cricket career of Sunette Stella Viljoen-Louw began in June 2000, when she debuted for South Africa against England at age 17. A dual-sport athlete, she concurrently pursued athletics as a javelin thrower, achieving significant global recognition through podium finishes at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and various world championship events throughout her professional life.
International Cricket Participation
Born in Rustenburg in 1983, Viljoen attended Die Hoërskool Rustenburg and speaks Afrikaans. Her early sporting focus was cricket, where she functioned as a right-handed all-rounder. During the 2000 Women's World Cup held in New Zealand, she participated in all eight of the national team's matches. Her top ODI score of 54 not out occurred against England, while her most effective bowling figures of 3/27 against Ireland remained a career best. She concluded her international cricket tenure in March 2002 after a series against India, which included her only Test match performance, where she scored 17 and 71 runs respectively. In December 2021, she signaled an intention to return to the sport by joining the Northerns team.
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In the field of athletics, Viljoen established herself as a elite javelin thrower. At the 2009 Summer Universiade in Belgrade, she secured a gold medal with a throw of 62.52 metres. During the qualifying round of that event, she set an African record of 65.46 metres, surpassing the previous mark held by Justine Robbeson. She further improved this record to 66.38 metres at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague in 2010. In 2011, she achieved a silver medal at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, establishing a new African record of 68.38 metres. This distance was improved again in June 2012 to 69.35 metres at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York City.
Major Global Competitions
Viljoen participated in four separate Summer Olympic Games, beginning with appearances in 2004 and 2008. She reached fourth place at the 2012 Summer Olympics and earned a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Her Commonwealth Games history includes gold medals earned in 2006 and 2010, followed by a second-place finish in 2014. Additionally, she placed sixth at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics held in Moscow and took second place at the 2015 IAAF Diamond League Bislett Games in Oslo.
Operational Incidents
During a 2007 athletic event, an accidental javelin throw resulted in an injury to Czech athlete Roman Šebrle. The javelin struck Šebrle in the right shoulder. Although the athlete recovered and continued his career, the injury was considered a significant incident that could have ended his professional tenure.
Fast facts
- Born: 6 October 1983
- Birthplace: Rustenburg, Transvaal
- Sporting career: Cricket and Javelin throw
- 2016 Olympic result: Silver medal
- Commonwealth Games gold medals: 2006 and 2010
- Highest ODI cricket score: 54 not out
- African record set: 69.35 metres (2012)
Questions readers ask
Did Sunette Viljoen compete in the Olympics?
Yes, she competed in four Summer Olympic Games held in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016.
What is her highest achievement in javelin?
She won an Olympic silver medal in 2016 and two Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Achievements
- Competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
