Mathilda Karlsson
{{short description|Sri Lankan equestrian}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Mathilda Karlsson
| image = Mathilda Karlsson Candy - Landesturnier Bad Segeberg 2011 - Ausschnitt.JPG
| caption = Karlsson in 2011
| full_name = Mathilda Thanuja Karlsson
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|27 September 1984}}
| birth_place = Kandy, Sri Lanka
| death_date =
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| height = 158 cm
| weight = 43 kg
| website = {{URL|www.groenwohldhof.com}}
| country = {{SRI}}
| sport = Equestrian
| event =
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| club = Hof Gronwohld
| team =
| turnedpro =
| coach =
| retired =
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| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics = 2020 Summer Olympics
| paralympics =
| highestranking =
| pb =
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}}
Mathilda Thanuja Karlsson (born 27 September 1984 in Kandy) is a Sri Lankan born Swedish equestrian athlete.{{Cite web |title=Mathilda Karlsson |url=https://www.fei.org/bios/Person/10046409/Mathilda_KARLSSON/1 |access-date=2021-07-21 |website=vwww.fei.org}} Karlsson was adopted by her Swedish parents when she was three months old.{{Cite web |last=JAYAWARDANA |first=Ruwini |title=Equestrian obsession |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/03/25/tc/244874/equestrian-obsession |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=Daily News |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Mathilda Karlsson: "I think I am the only rider who has been able to qualify twice for the 2021 Games". |url=https://equnews.com/region/mathilda-karlsson-i-think-i-am-the-only-rider-who-has-been-able-to-qualify-twice-for-the-2021-games |date=2021-03-26 |website=Equnews |language=en}} She also became the first Sri Lankan to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.{{Cite web |title=Mathilda Karlsson becomes first Sri Lankan to qualify for Tokyo Olympics |url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/73428/mathilda-karlsson-becomes-first-sri-lankan-to-qualify-for-tokyo-olympics |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=adaderana.lk |language=en}} Her horse is named as Chopin VA.{{Cite web |title=Mathilda Karlsson receives Olympic ticket |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2020/01/08/sports/207839/mathilda-karlsson-receives-olympic-ticket |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=Daily News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Mathilda and Chopin |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/210801/sports/mathilda-and-chopin-450951.html |access-date=2021-08-03 |website=Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka}}
In 2023, Karlsson was banned from competition from the FEI for failing to attend drug testing. Her suspension lasts until January 14th, 2025.{{Cite web |title=International Testing Agency-ITA sanctions Sri Lankan equestrian athlete Mathilda Karlsson with a 19-month period of ineligibility for 3 whereabouts failures |url=https://ita.sport/news/ita-sanctions-sri-lankan-equestrian-athlete-mathilda-karlsson-with-a-19-month-period-of-ineligibility-for-3-whereabouts-failures/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=International Testing Agency |language=en-GB}}
Personal life
Mathilda was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka and was adopted by her Swedish parents when she was three months old.{{Cite web |date=2020-01-11 |title=Sri Lanka’s born-again queen to waltz on a horse at Olympics |url=http://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2020/01/12/sri-lanka%E2%80%99s-born-again-queen-waltz-horse-olympics |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=Sunday Observer |language=en}} Spending her childhood being raised in Sweden, she started riding horses at the age of 7 under the Swedish banner.{{Cite web |last=Ratnaweera |first=Dhammika |title=Equestrian Karlsson confident of reaching final round at Tokyo Games |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/07/22/sports/254576/equestrian-karlsson-confident-reaching-final-round-tokyo-games |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=Daily News |language=en}} 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.
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.{{Cite web |title=Sri-Lanka represented in Tokyo. |url=https://www.studforlife.com/en/news_detail/sri-lanka-represented-tokyo |date=2020-01-08 |website=Stud For Life |language=en}}
Her equestrian centre Grönwohld Hof stables which is in Germany was demolished by a fire in May 2020.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-21 |title=Brand auf Grönwohldhof - zwei Pferde tot - |url=https://www.st-georg.de/news/pferde-und-leute/brand-auf-groenwohldhof-zwei-pferde-tot-grossbrand/ |access-date=2021-08-03 |website=St.GEORG}} Two horses died in the incident and the building which she owned was destroyed completely.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-31 |title=Sri Lanka’s Matilda set to waltz on her horse |url=http://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2021/08/01/sri-lanka%E2%80%99s-matilda-set-waltz-her-horse |access-date=2021-08-03 |website=Sunday Observer |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=THW reißt nach Brand Traditionsstall im Grönwohldhof nieder |url=https://www.ln-online.de/Lokales/Stormarn/THW-reisst-nach-Brand-Traditionsstall-im-Groenwohldhof-nieder |access-date=2021-08-03 |website=LN - Lübecker Nachrichten |language=de}}
Career
She decided to compete for Sri Lanka in 2018 and became the first Sri Lankan show-jumper.{{Cite web |title=Riding for Sri Lanka, Mathilda Karlsson Is Breaking Down Barriers on Her Way to Achieving the Olympic Dream |url=https://www.noellefloyd.com/blogs/sport/riding-for-sri-lanka-mathilda-karlsson-is-breaking-down-barriers-on-her-way-to-achieving-the-olympic-dream |date=2019-05-08 |website=Noellefloyd.com |language=en}} By doing so, she is the first Sri Lankan equestrian at the Olympic Games.{{Cite web |last=Ranasinghe |first=Dinushki |date=2020-01-08 |title=Mathilda creates history with first Olympic Qualification |url=https://www.thepapare.com/mathilda-kalrsson-show-jumping-olympic-qualification-news/ |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=ThePapare.com |language=en-US}} She also obtained the Swedish-Sri Lankan dual citizenship from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Germany prior to the Olympics.{{Cite web |last=Nadeera |first=Dilshan |title=Sri Lanka Embassy in Germany felicitates equestrian Mathilda Karlsson ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics |url=http://island.lk/sri-lanka-embassy-in-germany-felicitates-equestrian-mathilda-karlsson-ahead-of-2020-tokyo-olympics/ |access-date=2021-07-22 |language=en-US}}
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.{{Cite web |title=Mathilda ‘relieved’ as CAS reinstates Olympic slot for Sri Lanka in equestrian |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/210516/sports/mathilda-relieved-as-cas-reinstates-olympic-slot-for-sri-lanka-in-equestrian-443961.html |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=Print Edition - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka}}{{Cite web |title=Ranking points reinstated for Andrea Herck and Mathilda Karlsson after successful appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport | World of Showjumping |url=https://www.worldofshowjumping.com/en/News/Ranking-points-reinstated-for-Andrea-Herck-and-Mathilda-Karlsson-after-successful-appeals-to-the-Court-of-Arbitration-for-Sport.html |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=worldofshowjumping.com |language=en-US}} She was ensured of Olympic berth following the successful appeal against FEI results cancellation.{{cite web |date=21 April 2021 |title=Sri Lanka earns Tokyo 2020 Jumping place after successful CAS appeal |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1106930/cas-fei-sri-lanka-appeal-tokyo-2020 |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=insidethegames.biz}} She received a direct qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics which also marked her debut appearance at the Olympics.{{Cite news |title=Karlsson set for dream Olympics debut |work=Daily News |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/08/03/sports/255627/karlsson-set-dream-olympics-debut-tokyo |access-date=2021-08-03}}{{Cite web |title=Equestrian - KARLSSON Mathilda |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/equestrian/athlete-profile-n1621515-karlsson-mathilda.htm |access-date=2021-08-03 |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |language=en-us |archive-date=3 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803102107/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/equestrian/athlete-profile-n1621515-karlsson-mathilda.htm |url-status=dead }} She competed in the individual jumping.{{Cite web |title=Equestrian - Jumping Individual Schedule |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/equestrian/event-schedule-jumping-individual.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=2021-08-03 |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |language=en-us |archive-date=2021-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803102107/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/equestrian/event-schedule-jumping-individual.htm}} However, she failed to progress to the next round after being eliminated from the heat event mainly due to her horse which stopped twice.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-03 |title=Equestrian : Sri Lanka’s Mathilda Karlsson couldn't qualify for next round |url=https://www.newswire.lk/2021/08/03/equestrian-sri-lankas-mathilda-karlsson-couldnt-qualify-for-next-round/ |access-date=2021-08-03 |website=NewsWire |language=en-US}}
She has also competed at the Global Champions Tour.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-02 |title=Horse rider Mathilda Karlsson to represent Sri Lanka in Tokyo |url=http://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2021/07/04/youth-observer/horse-rider-mathilda-karlsson-represent-sri-lanka-tokyo |access-date=2021-07-22 |website=Sunday Observer |language=en}}
References
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External links
- {{sports links}}
- {{FEI|10046409}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karlsson, Mathilda}}
Category:Sri Lankan equestrians
Category:Sri Lankan jumping riders
Category:Equestrians at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic equestrians for Sri Lanka
Category:Sportspeople from Kandy
Category:Equestrians from Hamburg