Ole Gustav Gjekstad

Ole Gustav Gjekstad (born 29 November 1967) is a Norwegian handball player and coach for Odense Håndbold.

As player he won the Norwegian league and cup with Sandefjord HK, and he scored more than five hundred goals for the Norway men's national handball team.

His achievements as coach include winning national titles, the EHF cup and the Women's EHF Champions League with Larvik HK, and leading the Women's club Vipers Kristiansand to national titles and victories in the Women's EHF Champions League.

Playing career
Born on 29 November 1967, Gjekstad spent most of his playing career with Sandefjord HK, and won the Norwegian league and the cup with this club. From 1994 to 1996 he played for the Swiss club BSV Borba Luzern.

He played 149 matches and scored 548 goals for the Norway men's national handball team between 1986 and 1995. He participated at the 1993 World Men's Handball Championship.

Coaching career
Gjekstad coached women's club Larvik HK 1999–2005. and again from 2011–2015. Larvik HK won the 2004–05 EHF Women's Cup Winners' Cup and the 2010–11 EHF Women's Champions League with Gjekstad.

With Gjekstad, Larvik HK won the Norwegian League ten times, and won eight national titles. The club placed second in the EHF Women's Champions League in 2013 and 2015, and reached the semi final in 2002, 2004 and 2012.

From 2005 to 2008, he coached the men’s club Drammen HK. During this period Drammen HK won the Norwegian league twice and once the Norwegian cup.

From 2018 to 2023, he was coaching Vipers Kristiansand. With Vipers he won the Norwegian women's league in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, and the Women's EHF Champions League in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Since 2023, he has been coaching Odense Håndbold.

Honours

 * EHF Champions League Best coach: 2021