Katrine Lunde is ending her handball career on Sunday in a final match against Slovakia at the sold-out Aquarama arena in her hometown Kristiansand, according to reports. The venue was her home ground for years with the now-bankrupt Vipers club. Lunde debuted for the Norwegian national team against Yugoslavia, a country that has not existed for 23 years, sources indicate.
Since then, she has won 13 championship golds with the national team, including three Olympic golds, and has claimed the Champions League seven times, as reported. Her future career plans are uncertain, but she currently works with Randesund goalkeepers, and the decision to retire was made before last year's championship, according to sources. According to NRK, Katrine Lunde described her post-career intentions as focusing on enjoying time as a mom and taking on various assignments, while national team coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad expressed hope she will become a coaching resource in Norwegian handball.
An adult person, breaks out Katrine Lunde.
Kristiansand municipality will hold a tribute after the match, though the specific details are not confirmed, reports indicate. This transition comes as new talent like Frida Brandbu Andersen, who has just debuted for the national team, enters the early phase of her career. According to NRK, Frida Brandbu Andersen described being part of Lunde's final match as a significant and emotional gathering.
It is completely strange.
Katrine has been there all the years, it is sickly cool to be part of the last match.
To be part of a gathering with you is big.
It says that I have been here a long time. I have. I don't feel that old yet.
I think it will be very fun and sensitive and maybe a bit out of itself experience. It will be very many emotions.
I don't quite know yet. Now I will just enjoy the time a little extra as a mom. And then take some different assignments that I want.
I hope we get to see Katrine a lot in Norwegian handball in the future as a coaching resource. I hope we get to use her further.
I love working with goalkeepers, so I really want to do that. We'll see when things happen, now I work a bit with Randesund goalkeepers and it is very rewarding.
It is fantastic to be allowed to have that match and be allowed to be honored in that way.