Gymnast champ keeps the faith for success

Gymnast champ keeps the faith for success

By Ivy Susanti

JAKARTA (JP): Young, good-looking and talented, Jonathan
Mangiring Sianturi had the world at his feet yesterday.

The top Indonesian gymnast had just won five of the seven
individual events in the Games.

Expecting a superhero with an ego to match? Think again.

Jonathan is disarmingly low-key, a man who prefers to talk
about his devotion to God instead of his personal success.

"In the beginning, I just wanted to be number one gymnast," he
told The Jakarta Post. "But in 1991, I began to understand that
the chance to be a gymnast and to be a champion were part of
God's plan.

"Now I want everybody to acknowledge God through His work in
me."

Born in Medan, North Sumatra, Jonathan is the fifth son of
former wrestler O. Sianturi and Samaria Simamora. He started
gymnastics training at the age of eight in 1979.

He made his SEA Games debut in Bangkok in 1985, winning a
silver in the team competition and a bronze in the individual.

Except for his absence from the 1991 Games due to an ankle
injury, he has won medals at every Games since Bangkok.

Plagued by a nagging shoulder injury, Jonathan was an unknown
quantity before these Games. He put all doubts to rest with
brilliant performances throughout the week.

"I always try my very best. If God wants me to win, I'll win,"
he said.

A Pentecostal, he said he did not concern himself about the
future as it was all in God's hands.

"God's blessings are always given to me. For the future, let's
just wait and see," he said.

Jonathan plans to retire before age 30, but he still has some
goals to achieve.

"I want to do more. I would love to compete in the Olympics."

He has been the backbone of Indonesian gymnastics for so long
that some observers wonder who will replace him.

"Because God has given me the chance to win many competitions,
people always see the same face -- mine. They think gymnastics is
not developing, when actually it has really advanced."

Still, he concedes the nation has yet to produce a world-class
gymnast.

A major part of the problem, he said, was the dearth of
facilities. The Senayan training center in Jakarta is the only
one in the country.

Training centers were needed in all provinces to encourage
children to take up the sport, he said.

Lack of qualified coaches is another obstacle to the sport's
development.

"Currently, we have to hire coaches from Russia to train us,"
he said.

Nurturing the young Jonathans of the future is prominent on
his agenda. He said he would likely take up coaching after he
says goodbye to the competition arena for good.