
Competitive kettlebell lifting has a long history in Russia and Eastern Europe. For many years now the competition of kettlebells in Russia is known as girevoy sport, or GS for short. Girevoy is Russian for kettlebell lifter. However, the development of kettlebell competition was first organized in the 1960’s under the name kettlebell lifting. Today throughout the world the competition of kettlebells is more commonly referred to as kettlebell sport or kettlebell sport lifting. Regardless of what it’s called the sport consists of three main lifts: the snatch, the jerk, and the long cycle. The Jerk and the Long Cycle can both be performed with a single kettlebell or a pair of kettlebells of equal weight. While there are many organizations, the basic object is to lift a single kettlebell or pair of kettlebells as many times as possible within a certain amount of time (usually 5 or 10-minutes). The rules and the type of competition events will vary by organization.
World Organizations
World Kettlebell Sport Federation (WKSF)
International Union of Kettlebell Lifting (IUKL)
USA Organizations
American Kettlebell Alliance (AKA)
USA Kettlebell Sport Lifting (USKSL)
Online Competitions
International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation (IKFF)