Tuks gymnast Ryan Patterson made history by being named in the official initial squad of 24 athletes who will be representing South Africa at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) gave Patterson the green light to represent his country. This will be the first time in 50 years that a South African gymnast will compete in the Olympic Games.

The artistic gymnast qualified for the Olympic Games on 17 April 2016 following his performance at the Olympic Test Event which took place at the Rio Olympics Arena. Patterson improved his scores from the World Championships in 2015, thus getting a nod from the International Federation of Gymnastics to participate in the Olympic Games.