Singaporean gymnast Jovi Loh, 17, breaks new ground with junior world c’ship final qualification

SINGAPORE– Following what he described as a “poor” outing at the junior men’s artistic gymnastics Asian championships in South Korea in June, Jovi Loh was unsatisfied that his season would be ending on a whimper.

Determined not to let his year be defined by that competition – where he finished 11th out of 24 competitors – the 17-year-old worked hard on his rehabilitation after ankle surgery as he raced against time to be fit for another world-level event.

The Singaporean teenager’s determination has worked a treat. On Nov 20, Jovi clinched qualification to the all-around final at the junior world championships in Manila. In a Facebook post, Singapore Gymnastics said he is the first male gymnast from Singapore to qualify for a final at a world championships.

At the Marriott Grand Ballroom, Newport World Resorts, Jovi scored 75.698 points, finishing 22nd in the individual all-around qualifiers to advance to the final on Nov 22.

The top 24 of more than 120 athletes qualify for the final.

Jovi, a first-year business diploma student at the Singapore Sports School, said: “2025 has been a lot of ups and downs for me. I had done poorly during Asian champs early this year and it seemed like it was my last competition for the year as I had to undergo surgery right after and I was (also) recovering from a back injury.

“However, because I had not performed up to standards in the Asian championships, I did not want to end my last junior competition like this. So I did rehabilitation, took care of my body hoping that I would be able to have another chance to end my junior years with a good competition.

“Fortunately enough, I was able to recover in time and compete.

“The hard work has paid off and eventually, I can achieve this milestone and end my junior years strong.”

National coach Park Gi-yong praised his young charge’s ability to deal with setbacks and said that Jovi’s best is yet to come.

Park said: “He struggled with a back injury in March, which limited his ability to add new skills into his routines. Instead of slowing down, he focused on refining his existing elements, making them more consistent, cleaner and technically stronger.

“Despite the setback, his attitude never dropped. Once his back fully recovers, I believe we will see a big jump in his performance.”

Jovi said he is going into the final with a “nothing to lose” mentality.

He added: “I am going to do some of my most difficult routines in the final. The goal is for me to gain the experience of doing certain difficult skills in a major competition.”

Singapore Gymnastics said in a media statement that Jovi and his coach “have lit a torch for the next generation” and called it a landmark moment for the sport here.

It added: “Jovi has broken new ground for our sport and shown what is possible for athletes from our nation. This achievement reflects not only his exceptional dedication, but also the support from his teammates, family and coaches, whose guidance has been instrumental in Jovi’s progression.

“His success sends a powerful message to the next generation of Singaporean gymnasts that with belief, hard work and the right support, competing among the world’s best is within reach.

“Singapore Gymnastics is immensely proud of this milestone and looks forward to building on this momentum for the future of the sport.”

Jovi’s latest achievement is yet another boost for local gymnastics, which has had a positive 2025.

In September,

Singapore Gymnastics hired its first men’s artistic gymnastics head coach Francisco Azra

. In addition to securing Olympic qualification, the Brazilian has been tasked with enhancing the gymnasts’ performance at the regional, Asian and world levels, as well as increasing the talent pool.

In October, Amanda Yap, 15, made history as the

first Singapore gymnast to qualify for the balance beam final at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships

in Jakarta.