Athletes switched on to Kettle Bell lifting

TEAMS from all over Ireland took part in a unique sporting event at Ballinteer Community School earlier this month.

Participants from Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Monaghan, Wexford, Waterford and Laois were at the Southside school for the Leinster Kettle Bell Lifting Championship.

Kettle Bell Lifting is taking the country by storm and the championships made for a spectacular day of sport. Competitive Kettle Bell Lifting has a long history in Russia but it only became a recognized sport during the 1960s.

In recent years, it has grown in popularity throughout the world and it’s now a popular event at gyms all over Ireland.

This year’s All-Ireland competition kicked off in Ballinteer at 10.30am when the first of the 112 athletes began flexing their muscles. Weights lifted ranged from 8kg up to 64Kg

‘bells’. Competitors aged from 11-60 took part in the event.

Lifts competed in the sport are the Snatch, the Long Cycle and the Jerk. Each competitor must lift for five minutes non-stop and are judged by approved experts from the All Ireland Kettle Bell Lifting Federation (AIKLF).

Amongst the lifters were some of the best up-and-coming Irish athletes ranging from age 11 upwards. Over 40 youths aged between 11-22 years competed on the day, along with older competitors right up to 60-years-old.

Damien Carey from Allover Fitness which hosted the event said:

“It was such a privilege to host this national sporting event in our local community.

“To see so many athletes compete was inspiring. I would like to thank all our sponsors, judges, coaches, all the teams who travelled far and wide as well as Ballinteer Community School for enabling us to host this great sporting event locally.

“Finally I would like to thank all my own team at South Dublin Kettle Bell Club without whom the event would not have been possible, especially, Jenny McGovern, Darach Garland, Stephen Tiernan and Shane Monaghan.

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?¢ For more information on Kettle Bell Lifting visit www.alloverfitness.ie, email [email protected] of call Damien Carey on 086-8352527.