Katrine Lunde played her final handball game in her hometown, Kristiansand, on 12 April, leaving big shoes to fill. After three Olympic gold medals, three World Championship titles, seven EHF Champions League trophies and seven EHF EURO gold medals, Lunde bid farewell to an exceptional career. But her story does not stop here.
Goodbyes are always hard
Katrine Lunde played at the top of the sport for more than two decades, but the thought of retiring hardly ever crossed her mind: “I never dreamt of any farewell match,” she admits.
Still, Norway’s leading handball figure had the chance to spend her final day on the court among people who look up to her, with emotions running high as she talks about closing not one, but two chapters:
“It was a really beautiful moment, especially, you know, having the last match in Norway and having it in my hometown. It meant a lot to have handball in my city, my hall. To also close, maybe, two chapters — the national team and also for Vipers, after the bankruptcy. So, for me, it was really emotional in two ways.”
The decision to retire was not easy. After Vipers Kristiansand’s bankruptcy, Lunde struggled to find other clubs close to home. Then followed a difficult time for the goalkeeper, who, despite continuing to stun with her performances on the court, finally decided to step back.
One of the hardest parts? “The day when I should tell the team and the coaches was very emotional. I always postponed it because I really didn’t want to do it.”
