The Norwegian Handball Federation (NHF) has announced Ole Gustav Gjekstad as the new Norway women’s senior national team coach, with the current Odense Handbold coach assuming the posiition from 1 January 2025, signing a four-and-a-half year contract.

Thorir Hergeirsson, the current Norway women’s senior national team coach, had already announced he is stepping down from his position after the conclusion of the EHF EURO 2024, finishing a 15-year stint at the helm of the European powerhouse, after winning three titles at the IHF Women’s World Championship, two Olympic Games gold medals and five EHF EURO titles.

“It is a privilege and an honor to coach the Norwegian national team. Thorir and his team have delivered fantastic results over a long period of time, so there will be big shoes to fill. I am looking forward to working with the tasks and complexity surrounding a national team. It will be very exciting,” said Gjekstad, according to the official website of the Norwegian Handball Federation.

A former player, who featured 151 times and scored 561 goals for Norway men’s national team, Gjekstad moved into coaching as soon as his playing career was over, leading Larvik HK between 1999 and 2005, before moving to Drammen HK, between 2005 and 2008, the only men’s club he coached in his career.

A return to Larvik HK followed, between 2011 and 2015, where he led the team to the runners-up position in the EHF Champions League Women, which was followed by a three-year sabbatical for Gjekstad, who returned to Vipers Kristiansand in 2018.

There, the coach secured three EHF Champions League Women in 2021, 2022 and 2023, before signing for Odense Handbold, his current club, where he will vacate his position at the end of the season.

“First of all, I will have a good talk with Thorir, the team, the players and key people in the federatipon to get the big picture and get a little more information than I have now. The plan is to maintain much of what is already there, then we will see what will be new - I won't know that until I have a more thorough analysis done,” added Gjekstad.

Gjekstad will be only the seventh coach for the Norway women’s national team in the last 50 years, with the last two coaches, Marit Breivik and Thorir Hergeirsson, each spending 15 years in the position.

Credit foto: EHF / Jozo Cabraja / kolektiff