Mattias Sunneborn

Mattias Sunneborn (born 27 September 1970 in Bunge, Gotland) is a Swedish track and field athlete who has competed internationally in the long jump and sprint events. He has represented Sweden at Olympic level and has also competed in masters athletics at international level.

He won the silver medal in the long jump at the 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Barcelona, and finished eighth in the long jump at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and competing at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Sunneborn has continued to compete in masters athletics at international level across multiple age categories.

Beyond his athletic career, Sunneborn has been active in public health initiatives in Sweden and serves as an ambassador for Suicide Zero, an organisation focused on suicide prevention and mental health awareness.

Early life and background

Sunneborn was born in Bunge, Gotland. His father was a school principal. At the age of 15, his father died by suicide, an event that had a lasting impact on his personal development.

He has stated in interviews that he did not speak publicly about the circumstances of his father’s death for many years, and that sport became an important stabilising factor during his adolescence.

In later years, he has spoken publicly about this experience in interviews and public lectures, and has taken part in suicide prevention initiatives in Sweden, including serving as an ambassador for Suicide Zero.

Psychological approach

Sunneborn was known in Swedish sports media for his strong focus on goal-setting and competitive psychology. He used explicit performance targets as motivational tools and was described as an athlete with a high-pressure competitive mindset.

Masters athletics

Following his elite-level athletics career, Sunneborn continued competing in masters athletics at international level.

He recorded a 7.59-metre long jump in the M40 category, recognised as a European masters best performance.

At the 2016 World Masters Athletics Championships in Perth, he won the gold medal in the M45 long jump with 6.48 metres.

At the 2024 World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, he won the silver medal in the M50 category with 6.00 metres. <

Masters results

Year Competition Venue Category Event Result Position Notes — European masters performance — M40 Long jump 7.59 m — Best performance 2016 World Masters Athletics Championships Perth M45 Long jump 6.48 m 1st Gold medal 2024 World Masters Athletics Championships Gothenburg M50 Long jump 6.00 m 2nd Silver medal

Public activity

Sunneborn is involved in public health and youth mental health initiatives in Sweden. Since 2014, he has served as an ambassador for Suicide Zero.

His involvement is closely linked to personal experience, as his father died by suicide when Sunneborn was 15 years old.

He has spoken publicly about this experience in interviews and lectures, describing its long-term impact on his life and outlook.

He has participated in school programmes, sports clubs, and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing stigma around mental health issues.