Kilkenny Kettlebell Club - Kettlebell Sports

Kettlebell Sports

Kettlebell Sports Competitions take place regularly around the world. In 2010 the Kilkenny Kettlebell Club Team competed in competitions in London, Berlin, Kilkenny, and Cardiff. Coaches Mark and Eddie represented Ireland at the World Championships in Milan on November 6th 2010. See Club Events Diary page.

Some of the Members of Kilkenny Kettlebell Club with their coaches Mark Stapleton

& Eddie Sheehan

About the Events

Biathlon

This event is made up of two lifts, the jerk and the snatch. Competitors are required to

perform the jerk first of all followed by the snatch after a minimum rest period of 30 minutes. Both lifts are done for a maximum of 10 minutes with the total of both lifts added together to make up your overall score. Competitors are judged according to weight class as set by World Kettlebell Club (WKC)

The Jerk

The jerk is done with two bells for men and one bell for women. Women are permitted to change hands only once in 10 minutes. Proper technique is essential the kettlebell must have proper fixation overhead to be deemed a lift. Improper fixation is termed a "no lift" and is not counted. 3 no lifts in a row result in disqualification.

The Snatch

A single bell is swung from between the legs to overhead in a single movement. As with the jerk proper overhead fixation is essential.

Judging the biathlon

A judge is allocated to each individual competitor. The Judge counts the repetitions the competitor performs. The Competitor must wait for the judges count before they proceed to the next rep. The head judge will brief competitors on the rules at the beginning of the competition.

LONG CYCLE

The object of this event is for the athlete to jerk (press the kettlebell above their head with 2 knee dips and arms locked completely straight and fixate / pause at the top waiting for the judges count before lowering) then cleaning (swinging the kettlebell between their legs) as many times as possible in 10min. The only rest the athlete may have is in the rack position, this where they rest the kettlebell on their arms and elbows on hips.

Strongsport

For this competition, the person must jerk the heaviest kettlebell they can as many times as they can in 4 minutes. (2 minutes each arm. Men must use kettlebells between 32kg-48kg and women must use kettlebells from 20kg upwards.

Rankings

People training in Kettlebell Sports may wish to achieve "a rank". These are tiered ranking systems for competitors to aim to achieve throughout their training.

There are two lifts in which ranks are awarded, the Jerk/Snatch total and the Long Cycle. See below for links to the EGSA European Girevoy Sport Association and the World Kettlebell Club (USA) for your information