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Mathilda KARLSSON

Mathilda KARLSSON, Sri Lankan Jumping athlete.

Name Mathilda KARLSSON
FEI ID 10046409
Gender Female
Date of Birth 27/09/1984
Competing for Sri Lanka - SRI
Registration Jumping 2025
Last update 23/05/2023
FEI Database




Jumping 70x70
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport? She began riding at age seven at Kristianstad Ridsallskap in Sweden.
Why this sport? She took up riding because it was a way to spend time with her friends. "It was like a social thing because all your friends attended these [riding] schools. So you went because you wanted to be with your friends. Once I got older, my friends dropped off. I stayed because I fell in love with the horses. I was never ever thinking of being an international showjumper. I never wanted to compete myself. I just loved grooming and hanging around. Then, obviously, things changed and now I can't even imagine not showing."
Club / Team Gronwohld Hof: Germany
Training Regime She spends more time in the gym than training with her horses to maintain her physical fitness. "I'm really small and I don't really have the advantage of being tall and strong, so I need to put a lot of hours into the fitness and the gym. I don't think you need to ride with strength, I think you can ride with feeling and discipline. But I still feel disadvantaged, because I'm just not physically strong enough. I need to stay in shape. It shouldn't be on me why we could not perform as well as we can."
General Interest
Memorable sporting achievement Making her international debut for Sri Lanka in 2018. (noellefloyd.com, 08 May 2019)
Most influential person in career Her parents, and Swedish jumpers Sylve Soderstrand and Rolf-Goran Bengtsson. (dailynews.lk, 25 Mar 2021; hirunews.lk, 29 Apr 2021)
Hero / Idol Swedish equestrian Peder Fredricson, Australian equestrian Edwina Tops-Alexander, German equestrian Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. (livingmagazine.lk, 21 Jun 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto "You have to work hard to get what you want and have success. In the same way, you need to ride a lot to learn to get the experience. It doesn't come by itself." (nfstyle.com, 12 Jun 2017)
Ambitions To compete at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (Facebook page, 07 Aug 2021)
Other information OLYMPIC QUOTA REINSTATED She secured a quota spot for Sri Lanka in the individual jumping competition at the 2020 Olympic Games through ranking points obtained at CSI2* competitions held in December 2019 in Villeneuve-Loubet, France. However, her results from the competitions were annulled following an International Equestrian Federation [FEI] investigation, which found that a number of competitions offering points towards Olympic rankings had been added to the schedule in Villeneuve-Loubet after the deadline for definite entries. Along with the Sri Lanka Equestrian Association and Romanian jumper Andrea Herck, she appealed the decision to the FEI Tribunal but the appeal was dismissed in June 2020. She, Herck, and the Sri Lankan federation then successfully appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS], which noted in its decision in April 2021 that the FEI had made an error in approving schedule changes submitted by the French Equestrian Federation [FFE], and that the FEI could not annul competitions due to "human error". As a result, her ranking points and Sri Lanka's quota spot for the individual jumping competition at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo were reinstated. "A lifetime dream comes true. Sri Lanka and I will compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Thank you for all the people who believed in us and stood by my side." (worldofshowjumping.com, 20 Apr 2021; chronofhorse.com, 20 Apr 2021; horsesport.com, 17 Jun 2020; insidethegames.biz, 21 Apr 2021; CAS, 19 Apr 2021; Instagram profile, 02 May 2021) REPRESENTING SRI LANKA Born in Sri Lanka, she was adopted by Swedish parents at three months old and went on to represent Sweden in international competition. In 2017 she visited Sri Lanka and decided that she would like to compete for the country of her birth. She made her debut for Sri Lanka in 2018. "I was absolutely fascinated [visiting Sri Lanka in 2017]. It is a truly amazing country. It was not an easy decision, as I was always very happy to be representing Sweden. I will always be Swedish, and a big part of my heart will always belong to Sweden. That is where I grew up, and where I have all my values from. However, I feel very proud and supported representing Sri Lanka. For me, it was the right thing to do." (sundaytimes.lk, 01 Aug 2021; Team Sri Lanka YouTube channel, 24 Jun 2021; dailynews.lk, 25 Mar 2021; studforlife.com, 08 Jan 2020; tidningenridsport.se, 26 Jun 2018; globalchampionsleague.com, 01 Jun 2018) STABLES She manages the Gronwohld Hof equestrian centre in Germany. "When I was finished with my studies [in Sweden], I decided to go to Germany because Germany is the main country of showjumping. I decided to go there to stay for a year or maybe two to learn the language a little bit to have fun. And then 18 years later [speaking in 2021] I'm still living in Germany and that's my home now." (ndr.de, 16 Jul 2021; Newsfirst Sri Lanka YouTube channel, 09 Jun 2021; Facebook page, 27 Jan 2020; reiterzeit.de, 29 Jun 2018; noellefloyd.com, 11 Oct 2017) STABLE FIRE In May 2020 a fire broke out at her Gronwohld Hof stables in Germany. Two horses died in the fire, and a building was completely destroyed. "I have to think about it every day, especially when you walk past the burned down building. It will definitely stay that way for a long time. It is important to stay positive because business has to go on. The fire was a terrible experience that I would not wish on anyone. However, despite such a horrible setback, my life is very privileged. All the people close to me are healthy. The other horses are fine. Everything else can be rebuilt." (abendblatt.de, 03 Jun 2020; ndr.de, 16 Jun 2020)
Milestones She became the first rider representing Sri Lanka to compete in any equestrian discipline at the Olympic Games when she participated in the individual jumping competition at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 21 Feb 2023; PS of Sweden Facebook page, 25 Aug 2022)
Further Personal Information
Residence Hamburg, GER
Occupation Athlete, Breeder, Business Owner
Languages English, German, Swedish