Despite playing only two games on their home court during the 2020/21 DELO EHF Champions League season, Vipers Kristiansand produced one of the best runs in the history of the European premium club competition to seal their first-ever title and Norway’s second, after Larvik HK did so 10 years ago.

A former player, who donned the national team shirt 149 times in his career, Gjekstad orchestrated a superb run in the knock-out phase of the competition, securing four wins in the last six games on their way to the trophy, including a magnificent run in the DELO EHF FINAL4. Vipers took a 33:30 victory against CSKA Moscow in the semi-finals, while totally dominating Brest Bretagne Handball in the final, with a 34:28 win. It was Gjekstad’s first European trophy in his career, capping off an amazing 2021 for Norwegian handball.