After Tokyo ‘heartbreak’, Karlsson eyes Asian Games
For Mathilda Karlsson, the word ‘heartbreak’ has a closely-knit relationship off late. On August 3, 2021, her heartbreak was purely for failing herself and failing a nation’s hope, when she competed representing Sri Lanka in the individual jumping event at Tokyo Olympics.
Karlsson entered the course as the 13th competitor with her horse Chopin VA and maintained a decent timing until she was eliminated attempting to clear the eighth hurdle. It was Chopin’s second refusal, having refused to clear the sixth obstacle in one attempt.
Eventually, within half-a-minute she was making her way out of the Tokyo Equestrian Park, after toiling days and months of preparations.
But only Karlsson herself knows if this heartbreak is similar to what she had to experience in May 2020, when her equestrian centre, the Grönwohld Hof stables in Germany, was totally gutted down by a fire. Two horses died in the tragic incident while the building she owned was totally destroyed.
Karlsson termed it a ‘minor’ setback, and was headstrong to rise from the very own ashes of the debris of Grönwohld Hof. Her Olympic journey has been an epic one, owing the legal battle she had to engage in to rectify an ‘administrative error’ that initially prevented Karlsson the Olympic qualification.
Nevertheless, being the final of the nine athletes that represented Sri Lanka at the Tokyo Games, the whole nation had generated a buildup on equestrian sports and many were glued to television sets to stand behind Karlsson, the daughter Sri Lanka lost 37 years ago to Sweden.
Even though she made an unexpected exit from the Olympics, after being the first athlete in history to qualify through equestrian, Karlsson has won many Sri Lankan hearts. And she was quick and frank to apologise for her ‘mishap’.
“I’m sad that it happened, it was a mistake I made. We were hoping for the best because I had one of the best horses in the competition. The best I could have done is to complete the course without penalties and mistakes,” she stated.
Now Karlsson pins hopes of winning medals for her land of birth at future international events with ‘lessons learnt’ from the land of the rising sun. The 37-year-old will return to Germany and continue with her training process for future events in which the World Championships and the World Champion Games will be her core focus.
Following those comes the Asian Games 2022, scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China during September 10 top 22. This will be the first occasion Karlsson will be competing under the lion flag at an Asian Games event, after earning the honour of being the first-ever to do so at Olympics.
But it will be highly unlikely that Karlsson will be partnered by her favourite stallion Chopin VA at the regional sporting festival. “Asian Games will be something I am very much look forward to, maybe not with Chopin but with another horse perhaps from my stable.”
Karlsson was one of the 73 competitors that took the course and one of the eight eliminated from the qualification round of the individual jumping event, which opened 30 slots to the second round. The second round too had five eliminations, but with her and Chopin’s previous experience and understanding, this was an unaffordable mishap at the pinnacle of sporting events of the world.
“Riders get only seconds to decide what to do next after clearing a hurdle. I’m proud of how my horse, Chopin VA performed. He showed his true class as an incredible competitor. I’m proud of him, and we’re proud that we were able to make it to the Olympics. Qualifying for the Olympics was itself an achievement,” the Kandy-born lass said.
Chopin was groomed and prepared by Karlsson’s team in Germany well ahead of the Tokyo Games, but for the duo this would not be the end of the road. Karlsson and her partner Manfred Von Allwoerden are planning to gather a strong team of horses, now that she has the potential of representing Sri Lanka at future events.
“There are so many interesting championships and shows coming up after Olympics. I will try to form strong team of horses, find some sponsors and horse owners and to support me with some strong equipment for horses,” she added.
If Karlsson had the will to come out of a huge disaster and heavy heartbreak from the loss of her facility and the lives of two horses, and to stay firm and represent Sri Lanka at the Olympics, becoming the first to qualify from the island nation, she is obstinate that the Tokyo mishap is the invisible impulse for a medal prospect at the Asian Games.