The South African Olympic team for the Rio de Janeiro Games to be held in Brazil next month was announced on Thursday.

An additional 113 athletes were named to an initial 24 names that were given out in May to bring the total number of participants for the 2016 Games to 137.

That is 12 more than the 125 athletes who represented South Africa at the 2012 Olympics in London.

In addition to track and field athletes and swimmers‚ SA will be represented in other codes like Sevens rugby‚ men and women’s soccer‚ golf‚ badminton‚ judo‚ triathlon‚ rowing and equestrian.

“There is great excitement around what we are doing now‚” Sascoc president Gideon Sam said at the announcement of Team SA.

“It has been a long journey. We made it a point many years ago that this country can be a force to be reckoned with on the world stages of sport. We had to do something about it‚ and that was to say to ourselves ‘let us have a criteria that will enable us to do that’. It has not been easy and it is still not easy.”

Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy was also named as the country’s Chef de Mission and he will head the team to Rio.

Reddy emphasised the team’s readiness for the Games as he indicated that preparations for Brazil had started immediately after the last Olympics four years ago in the United Kingdom.

“Preparations for the athletes started immediately after London 2012. We launched the Operation Excellence program to help prepare athletes to get to this stage‚” said Reddy.

“The athletes that have been announced today have met the [set] criteria. If there is a need for change‚ we can debate that going forward and make whatever necessary changes that need to be made.

“The athletes we have selected are quality athletes‚ who will give off their best in return.”

Sam expressed his confidence that the team would represent South Africa well and called on South Africans to throw their weight behind the athletes.

“South Africa‚ these are the men and women who will wear the green and gold‚ and go out to Rio and represent us well‚” the Sascoc president said.

The full and final athletes in Team South Africa for the 2016 Olympics (includes the list that was announced in May 2016):

AQUATICS

Diving: Julia Vincent

Marathon swim: Michelle Weber‚ Chad Ho

Men

Chad le Clos‚ Jarred Crous‚ Dylan Bosch‚ Calvyn Justus‚ Cameron van der Burgh‚ Sebastien Rousseau‚ Michael Meyer‚ Christopher Reid‚ Matthew Meyer‚ Myles Brown‚ Bradley Tandy‚ Douglas Erasmus

Managers/Coaches: Shawn Adriaanse‚ Graham Hill‚ Dean Price‚ Cedric Finch‚ Igor Omeltchenko‚ William Sherritt‚ Alasdair Hatfield

ATHLETICS

Women (marathon): Irvette Van Zyl‚ Christine Kalmer‚ Lebo Phalula

Men (marathon): Lusapho April‚ Sibusiso Mzima‚ Lungile Gongqa

Women

Carina Horn‚ Alyssa Conley‚ Tsholofelo Thipe‚ Justine Palframan‚ Caster Semenya‚ Wenda Nel‚ Dominique Scott‚ Lynique Prinsloo‚ Sunette Viljoen‚ Anel Oosthuizen

Men

Akani Simbine‚ Henricho Bruintjies‚ Tlotliso Leotlela‚ Clarence Munyai‚ Anaso Jobodwana‚ Wayde van Niekerk‚ Jacob Rozani‚ Rynhardt van Rensburg‚ Elroy Gelant‚ Stephen Mokoka‚ Antonio Alkana‚ Lindsay Hanekom‚ Louis van Zyl‚ Le Roux Hamman‚ Ruswahl Samaai‚ Luvo Manyonga‚ Stefan Brits‚ Khotso Mokoena‚ Rocco van Rooyen‚ Willem Coertzen‚ Lebogang Shange‚ Wayne Snyman‚ Marc Mundell

Managers/Coaches: Irma Reyneke‚ Paul Gorries‚ Terseus Liebenberg‚ Maryna van Niekerk‚ Pieter Lourens and James Moloi

BADMINTON

Men

Jacob Maliekal

Manager/Coach: Chris Dedman

CANOEING

Women

Bridgitte Hartley

Manager/Coach: Craig Mustard

CYCLING

Women: An-Li Kachelhoffer‚ Ashleigh Moolman- Pasio

Men

Daryl Impey‚ Louis Meintjes‚ Kyle Dodd‚ Alan Hatherly‚ James Reid

Manager/Coach/Mechanics: Brett Coates‚ Jonnathan Chislett‚ Carl Pasio‚ Douglas Ryder‚ JP Jacobs‚ Gary Blem

EQUESTRIAN

Women

Tanya Seymour

Manager/Coach: Ingeborg Sanne

Groom: Kirsty Taylor

FOOTBALL

Women

Roxanne Barker‚ Amanda Dlamini‚ Andile Dlamini‚ Refiloe Jane‚ Bambanani Mbane‚ Mamello Makhabane‚ Stephanie Malherbe‚ Noko Matlou‚ Sanah Mollo‚ Robyn Moodaly‚ Linda Motlhalo‚ Octavia Nogwanya‚ Nompumelelo Nyandeni‚ Lebohang Ramalepe‚ Jermaine Seoposenwe‚ Leandra Smeda‚ Janine Van Wyk‚ Nothando Vilakazi

Managers/Coaches: Barney Kujane‚ Vera Pauw‚ Desiree Ellis‚ Francis Chansa‚ Shilene Margaret Booysen

Men

Jody February‚ Itumeleng Khune‚ Ishmael Mngonyama‚ Rivaldo Coetzee‚ Abbubaker Mobara‚ Mothobi Mvala‚ Erick Mathoho‚ Tebogo Moerane‚ Tercious Malepe‚ Gift Motupa‚ Maphosa Modiba‚ Deolin Mekoa‚ Phumlani Ntshangase‚ Keagan Dolly‚ Tyroane Sandows‚ Lebogang Mothiba‚ Menzi Masuka‚ Tashreeq Morris

Managers/Coaches: Levy Ramajoe‚ Owen da Gama‚ Thabo Senong‚ Predikumar Bhaktawer‚ Simone Conley

GOLF

Women

Paula Reto‚ Ashleigh Simon

Men

Brandon Stone‚ Jaco van Zyl

Golf Caddies

Chris Simmons‚ Jason Reynolds‚ Deon Flowers‚ David Buhai

Manager/Coach: Gary Player

GYMNASTICS

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Ryan Patterson

Manager/Coach: Jonathan Okada

JUDO

Men

Zack Piontek

Manager/Coach: Nikola Filipov

ROWING

Women

Kirsten McCann‚ Kate Christowitz‚ Ursula Grobler‚ Lee-Ann Persse

Men

James Thompson‚ John Smith‚ Shaun Keeling‚ Lawrence Brittain‚ Jake Green‚ David Hunt‚ Vincent Breet‚ Jonathan Smith

Manager/Coach: Roger Barrow‚ Andrew Grant‚ Paul Jackson

RUGBY SEVENS

Men

Dylan Sage‚ Philippus Snyman‚ Timothy Agaba‚ Albertus Smith‚ Werner Kok‚ Kyle Brown‚ Cheslin Kolbe‚ Rosko Specman‚ Justin Geduld‚ Cecil Afrika‚ Seabelo Senatla‚ Juan De Jongh

Manager/Coach: Ashley Evert‚ Neil Powell‚ Renfred Dazel‚ Alan Temple-Jones

SAILING

Men

Stefano Marcia‚ Asenathi Jim‚ Roger Hudson

Manager/Coach: Brevan Thompson

TRIATHLON

Women

Gillian Sanders‚ Mari Rabie

Men

Richard Murray‚ Henri Schoeman

Manager/Coach: Kate Roberts‚ Lindsey Parry

MEDICAL TEAM

Chief Medical Officer: Dr Kevin Subban

Doctors: Danielle Lincoln; Paul Maphoto‚ Karen Schwabe

Chief Physiotherapist: Grace Hughes

Physiotherapists: Hugh Everson‚ Ashleigh Hansen‚ Collin Hill‚ Avilarsh Lukhan‚ Given Motha‚ Hendrik Maree‚ Rannoa Ntseke‚ Eva Ramashala and Sandhya Silal