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TOPS: Sunette Viljoen is touted as one of SA's strongest medal prospects. Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images

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While it is unlikely they will bag a dozen medals, they are capable of pocketing at least half the target set by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), which would be a significant improvement from the 2008 Beijing Games where they secured only one silver medal.

The country's strongest hopes will rest on the shoulders of breaststroke swimmer Cameron van der Burgh and javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen.

Since he failed to progress beyond the semi-finals at his maiden Games in Beijing four years ago, Van der Burgh has cemented himself as a serious prospect to step on the podium in London.

He has been South Africa's top swimmer over the past few years, breaking the world short-course records in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke events in 2008.

He also won bronze medals over both distances at last year's Fina World Championships in Shanghai.

Viljoen will arrive at her third Olympics as the No1 women's javelin thrower in the world after improving her own national record with a 69.39m heave at the New York Diamond League meeting in June.

She will be joined by South Africa's flag-bearer, Caster Semenya, as the athletics squad's greatest medal hopefuls.

Semenya's national record performance of 1:55.45 to win the world title in Berlin in 2009, and her silver at last year's global championships in Daegu, make her a strong contender at the Games, despite erratic performances over the past two seasons.

Long jump ace Khotso Mokoena, South Africa's only medallist in Beijing, has also been touted as a medal prospect, along with one-lap hurdler LJ van Zyl.

Elsewhere on the track, Oscar Pistorius is unlikely to be in contention for a medal in the individual 400m event, but the double amputee will be one of the drawcards in the English capital.

The fastest one-lap sprinter in the country this season, Pistorius will be joined by Van Zyl, Fredericks, Ofentse Mogawane, Willie de Beer and Shaun de Jager in the 4x400m relay squad as they target a repeat performance of their silver medal-winning effort at last year's global championships.

In the pool, Van der Burgh will be joined by rising star Chad le Clos, who has been talked up as another prospective medallist.

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Thu May 23 23:54:49 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 24, 2012

PapaTshego

Why waste money by sending so many athletes to the olympics and expect only 6 medals? Why not just send the 6 medal hopefulls only?
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