September 25, 2025
SINGAPORE – Jovi Loh swings his body in the air as he rotates around a cylindrical bar suspended more than 2m above the ground. Suddenly, he lets go of the bar, gracefully twisting and turning before landing elegantly on the mat.
“What I enjoy most about gymnastics is that adrenaline rush when I’m in the air,” said the 17-year-old gymnast, who is a first-year business diploma student at Singapore Sports School.
Jovi is not only a national athlete who has represented Singapore in numerous international competitions, but he is also the first and only Singaporean to win a men’s artistic gymnastics medal at the Junior Asian Championships, taking bronze in the parallel bars at the 2024 event in Uzbekistan.
In March, Jovi placed second in the junior individual all-around category at the national championships and won the parallel bars and high bar events in the junior category.
In March, Jovi placed second in the junior individual all-around category at the national championships. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
As he trains for the World Junior Championships in the Philippines in November, TLDR spoke to him about his sporting journey so far.
Q: How did you get started in gymnastics?
A: When I was young, I spent so much time climbing at my local playground that my grandfather recommended that I sign up for gymnastics classes. In 2016, coach Park Gi-yong discovered me at a gymnastics class and began training me for competition.
Q: What was your first major international competition like?
A: My first international competition was the World Junior Championships in Turkey in 2023. I was the only Singaporean, and I was also one of the youngest competitors (at 15 years old). I had mixed feelings – I was excited, but at the same time, I was nervous being the only one there competing against 17- and 18-year-olds.
I didn’t win but the competition gave me a lot of motivation. I realised that I might be one of the top few (athletes) in Singapore but compared with the rest of the world, I’m nothing.
Q: What was a significant milestone in your gymnastics journey?
A: Winning a bronze medal in the parallel bars at the Junior Asian Championships. China and Japan dominate the whole world in gymnastics, so it wasn’t a very realistic goal of mine (to win a medal). But when I qualified for the finals, I knew there was a chance I could win.
Part of why I won was because some of my competitors fell. In a way, I won only because of other people’s mistakes. I’m proud of myself for winning, but there is still so much work to put in. In future, I want to win even if nobody else makes a mistake.
Q: How do you balance school and sports?
A: I train six times a week, from 5.30pm to 9.30pm at the National Training Centre, and I also do gym work five to six times a week before school.
Polytechnic is more project-based and there’s less cramming for exams. It’s way more chill now compared with secondary school. In secondary school, I would wake up at 5.30am to finish my homework because I would be too tired to study after training.
I don’t have much of a social life outside of gymnastics. It’s okay because most of my days are spent with those I consider closest. I consider all my gym friends to be my brothers.
At Bishan Sports Hall, Jovi trains six times a week, from 5.30pm to 9.30pm. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
Q: Are there any athletes that you look up to?
A: Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura. He’s retired now, but he was so dominant when he was competing. What sets him apart is that he’s very technically gifted. His execution is always very clean even when he is performing difficult tricks. That’s why he’s a seven-time Olympic medallist.
Q: What are your future goals?
A: I want to win a medal at the World Junior Championships this November. It’s the last junior competition of my gymnastics career. I can’t miss this. I didn’t get the results I wanted at the Junior Asian Championships this year, so I want to end my junior career with a win.
From 2026, I’ll be competing at the senior level. The standard is higher, and I’ll be competing against Asian, Olympic and world champions. I’m excited but nervous.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring athletes?
A: I’m not super motivated every day, especially when I don’t see progress or feel very tired. But those are the days when you have to work your hardest. Discipline is what has brought me this far – you need to dedicate yourself to it if you want to be a champion.