{{short description|Norwegian handball player (born 1979)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Kjetil Strand | fullname = Kjetil Øvrelid Strand | image = Kjetil Strand.jpg | caption = Kjetil Strand under 2008 European Men's Handball Championship in Stavanger | nationality = Norwegian | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|10|2|df=y}} | birth_place =Stavanger, Norway | height =1.88 m | position = Mid Back | currentclub = | clubnumber = | clubs1 = Stavanger Håndball | years1 = {{0|0000}}-2003 | clubs2 = SG Flensburg-Handewitt | years2 = 2003-2004 | clubs3 = Bjerringbro-Silkeborg Håndbold | years3 = 2004-2006 | clubs4 = AaB Håndbold | years4 = 2006-2007 | clubs5 = Füchse Berlin | years5 = 2007-2010 | clubs6 = Stavanger Håndball | years6 = 2010-2013 | nationalyears1 = 2000–2013 | nationalteam1 = Norway | nationalcaps1 =102 | nationalgoals1 =473 | ntupdate = | medaltemplates = }} '''Kjetil Øvrelid Strand''' (born 2 October 1979) is a Norwegian former handball player. Strand played for Bjerringbro Silkeborg in Denmark before the 2006 European Championship. Afterwards he signed a contract with AaB Håndbold.
On 2 February 2006 he scored 19 goals, a Norwegian record,<ref>{{in lang|no}}''- Reddet karrièren'', by Arne Hole in ''Aftenposten'' 4 February 2006</ref> in a Main Group Stage game against Iceland in the European Championship. Strand also holds the record for number of goals scored in a single season in the Norwegian league: 281.<ref>{{in lang|no}} [http://www.handball.no/app_htmlreport.asp?appname=xml/statistikk/skytterkonger Skytterkonger] from the Norwegian Handball Federation</ref> He set the record while playing for Stavanger Håndball in 2002/2003 season. In 2003 he was awarded ''Player of the year'' in Norwegian handball.<ref name="player of the year">{{cite web|url=http://www.handball.no/p1.asp?p=1757|title = Players of the year|accessdate =2008-01-12|publisher=Norwegian Handball Association|language=Norwegian}}</ref>
==Career== Kjetil Strand started his professional career at Stavanger Håndball. There he made his breakthrough in the 2002/03 season, where he scored 281 goals in 25 games and became the league top scorer and handballer of the year.<ref name="player of the year" /> In the winter of 2003 he was approached by TBV Lemgo in the German Handball-Bundesliga, but moved to Flensburg-Handewitt instead.{{cn|date=May 2025}} Here he played a single season, where he won the German Bundesliga. He then moved to Danish side Bjerringbro-Silkeborg.<ref name=Fuchse>{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2007-05-17-kjetil-strand-fra-aab-til-berlin|title=Kjetil Strand fra AaB til Berlin|website=sport.tv2.dk|publisher=TV2 Danmark|date=17 May 2007|access-date=14 May 2025|language=da}}</ref> In 2006 he moved to league rivals AaB Håndbold.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dr.dk/sporten/haandbold/herreligaen/kjetil-strand-skifter-til-aab-haandbold|publisher=Danmarks Radio|title=Kjetil Strand skifter til AaB Håndbold|date=27 March 2006|access-date=14 May 2025|language=da}}</ref> In 2007 he returned to Germany to join Füchse Berlin.<ref name=Fuchse /> In 2010 he announced that he would not extend his contract and moved back to Stavanger Håndbold, where he finished his career in 2013, after suffrenting from multiple injuries in his last years<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aftenbladet.no/sport/i/EWodP2/strand-mister-resten-av-sesongen|publisher=Stavanger Aftenblad|title=Strand mister resten av sesongen|date=29 May 2013|access-date=30 March 2026|language=no}}</ref>
He played 102 matches the Norway men's national handball team. At the 2005 World Men's Handball Championship he was part of the team that finsihed 7th. Two years later he represented them at the 2007 World Men's Handball Championship, where they finished 13th. He missed dthe 2012 European Men's Handball Championship due to an achilles injury, that needed surgery.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.tv2.no/sport/h%C3%A5ndball/kjetil-strand-spiller-ikke-em/13251206/|publisher=Tv2 Norge|title=Kjetil Strand spiller ikke EM|date=22 December 2011|access-date=29 March 2026|language=no}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{cite web|url =http://www.handball.no/Statistikk_Landskamper.asp?LagId=&VS=&SpillerId=47122|title = Statistics for Strand, Kjetil Øvrelid|accessdate =2008-01-12|publisher=Norwegian Handball Association|language=Norwegian}}
{{Norway squad 2010 European Men's Handball Championship}} {{Norway squad 2011 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strand, Kjetil}} Category:Norwegian male handball players Category:Norwegian expatriate handball players in Germany Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Aalborg Håndbold players Category:Norwegian expatriate handball players in Denmark Category:Handball-Bundesliga players Category:SG Flensburg-Handewitt players Category:Füchse Berlin Reinickendorf HBC players