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Mathilda Karlsson

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Mathilda Karlsson
Karlsson in 2011
Personal information
Full nameMathilda Thanuja Karlsson
Born27 September 1984 (1984-09-27) (age 40)
Kandy, Sri Lanka
Height158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Weight43 kg (95 lb)
Websitewww.groenwohldhof.com
Sport
Country Sri Lanka
SportEquestrian
ClubHof Gronwohld
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2020 Summer Olympics

Mathilda Thanuja Karlsson (born 27 September 1984 in Kandy) is a Sri Lankan born Swedish equestrian athlete.[1] Mathila hails from Sri Lanka and was adopted by her Swedish parents when she was three months old.[2] She competed for Sweden until 2018, when she switched to her native country. In 2021 she qualified as an individual rider for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, being the first Sri Lankan equestrian at the Olympic Games.[3] She also became the first Sri Lankan to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.[4] Her horse is named as Chopin VA.[5][6]

In 2023, Karlsson was banned from competition from the FEI for failing to attend drug testing. Her suspension lasts until January 14th, 2025.[7]

Personal life

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Mathilda was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka and was adopted by her Swedish parents when she was three months old.[8][2] Spending her childhood being raised in Sweden, she started riding horses at the age of 7 under the Swedish banner.[9] In 2017 she traveled back to Sri Lanka and realised she was a Sri Lankan and also felt she has to do something for her native country.[2]

She lives in Hamburg, Germany where she runs and manages her own equestrian business Grönwohldhof with her partner Manfred von Allwohrden. She also trains, breeds and sells the horses in Grönwohld Hof. Mathilda is fluent in English, Swedish and German.[10]

Her equestrian centre Grönwohld Hof stables which is in Germany was demolished by a fire in May 2020.[11] Two horses died in the incident and the building which she owned was destroyed completely.[12][13]

Career

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She decided to compete for Sri Lanka in 2018 and became the first Sri Lankan show-jumper.[14] By doing so, she is the first Sri Lankan equestrian at the Olympic Games.[15] She also obtained the Swedish-Sri Lankan dual citizenship from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Germany prior to the Olympics.[16]

She also faced difficulties before qualifying to the Olympics as part of her qualifying points were initially removed in February 2020, following an administrative error from the FEI; however, the decision on points removal was subsequently overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[17][18] She was ensured of Olympic berth following the successful appeal against FEI results cancellation.[19] She received a direct qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics which also marked her debut appearance at the Olympics.[20][21] She competed in the individual jumping.[22] However, she failed to progress to the next round after being eliminated from the heat event mainly due to her horse which stopped twice.[23]

She has also competed at the Global Champions Tour.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Mathilda Karlsson". vwww.fei.org. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c JAYAWARDANA, Ruwini. "Equestrian obsession". Daily News. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Mathilda Karlsson: "I think I am the only rider who has been able to qualify twice for the 2021 Games"". Equnews. 26 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Mathilda Karlsson becomes first Sri Lankan to qualify for Tokyo Olympics". adaderana.lk. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Mathilda Karlsson receives Olympic ticket". Daily News. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Mathilda and Chopin". Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  7. ^ "International Testing Agency-ITA sanctions Sri Lankan equestrian athlete Mathilda Karlsson with a 19-month period of ineligibility for 3 whereabouts failures". International Testing Agency. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Sri Lanka's born-again queen to waltz on a horse at Olympics". Sunday Observer. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  9. ^ Ratnaweera, Dhammika. "Equestrian Karlsson confident of reaching final round at Tokyo Games". Daily News. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Sri-Lanka represented in Tokyo". Stud For Life. 8 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Brand auf Grönwohldhof - zwei Pferde tot -". St.GEORG. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Sri Lanka's Matilda set to waltz on her horse". Sunday Observer. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  13. ^ "THW reißt nach Brand Traditionsstall im Grönwohldhof nieder". LN - Lübecker Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Riding for Sri Lanka, Mathilda Karlsson Is Breaking Down Barriers on Her Way to Achieving the Olympic Dream". Noellefloyd.com. 8 May 2019.
  15. ^ Ranasinghe, Dinushki (8 January 2020). "Mathilda creates history with first Olympic Qualification". ThePapare.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  16. ^ Nadeera, Dilshan. "Sri Lanka Embassy in Germany felicitates equestrian Mathilda Karlsson ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics". Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Mathilda 'relieved' as CAS reinstates Olympic slot for Sri Lanka in equestrian". Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Ranking points reinstated for Andrea Herck and Mathilda Karlsson after successful appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport | World of Showjumping". worldofshowjumping.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Sri Lanka earns Tokyo 2020 Jumping place after successful CAS appeal". insidethegames.biz. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Karlsson set for dream Olympics debut". Daily News. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Equestrian - KARLSSON Mathilda". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Equestrian - Jumping Individual Schedule". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Equestrian : Sri Lanka's Mathilda Karlsson couldn't qualify for next round". NewsWire. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Horse rider Mathilda Karlsson to represent Sri Lanka in Tokyo". Sunday Observer. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
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