Sri Lankan Mathilda – The First to Qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games скачать в хорошем качестве

Sri Lankan Mathilda – The First to Qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

35-year-old Mathilda Karlson is the first Tokyo2020 qualifier as well as she makes all of ur proud as the first equestrian to be qualified for an Olympic Event! Click below to listen to her story from her own voice with her Chopin VA! ************************************************************************** Suranjith Premadasa, the President of Sri Lanka Equestrian Association is also Sri Lanka’s sports synonymous. Be it race-driving or squash he has an in-depth knowledge of the subject, but, his love and pet subject is Equestrian and since 2001 he has nurtured this sport and now the whole country has begun to reap its harvest. In as much today, Suranjith Premadasa could proudly announce that through his pet sport Equestrian, Sri Lanka has the good fortune of producing the first Olympic 2020 competitor to qualify for the July Tokyo Games, through Sri Lankan jumping athlete Mathilda Karlsson. 35-year-old Karlsson has made a historic qualification to this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Born in Sri Lanka in 1984, Mathilda was adopted by Swedish parents when she was only three months old. She grew up in Kristianstad in the south of Sweden and started her equestrian career at the local club - Kristianstads Ryttarsällskap. There, Mathilda developed her love and passion for horses and showjumping. “I was lucky to grow up in a very loving family that gave me all the support a child could wish for. My family gave me the opportunity to develop into the person that I am today,” says Mathilda. In 2018, Mathilda decided to return to her Sri Lankan roots and started to compete for her birth country. Mathilda made this decision after her first visit back to Sri Lanka in 2017 on holiday; there she fell in love with the beauty of the country and the kindness of the people she met here. As a result, she decided flying the Sri Lankan flag and set herself a goal: ‘To be the first jumping athlete in history to qualify and represent Sri Lanka at the Olympic Games.’ “It was not an easy decision, as I was always very happy to be representing Sweden,” Mathilda says. “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,” Mathilda says. “However, I feel very proud and supported representing Sri Lanka. For me, it was the right thing to do.” Through dedication and hard work, Mathilda has now reached her goal. Together with Chopin VA, Mathilda has throughout 2019 competed against the best in the world and consistently picked up world ranking points. Mathilda and Chopin VA eventually finished up 2nd on the Olympic Ranking for South East Asia and Oceania, which secured them a ticket to Tokyo. Mathilda has a truly special bond with her Olympic horse Chopin VA, an 11-year-old approved stallion by Casall x Coriano, having been a part of Chopin VA’s life since he was born at Grönwohldhof in Holstein, Germany. “We have been inseparable since the day he was born,” Mathilda says. “Chopin and I have a very special connection; we are like a best friend. At times, it feels like we can read each other’s minds.” Mathilda educated and produced Chopin VA herself, all the way up to the highest level of the sport. “Chopin VA thinks I’m the best rider in the world because he doesn’t know anything else,” Mathilda says. While it will be the first Olympic Games and major championship for Mathilda, she is no newcomer to the jumping industry. For the last sixteen years, she has been running a competition and trading stable outside Hamburg, Germany together with Manfred Von Allwörden. She is a true role model for young women around the world, proving that everything is possible if you only believe enough. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, you are the queen of your own path,” Mathilda says. “Every young woman should take the chance to become the best version of herself. Everything is possible, you just need to work a bit harder for it and never ever stop believing in yourself and your dreams.” “It is with immense joy and pride that we have succeeded in qualifying for the Olympic Games, and we look forward to 2020,” Mathilda says. #NOCSL #PressRelease #Mathilda #Equestrian #Tokyo2020 #Olympics #OlympicGames