What's the IKO ?
Overview
The International Kettlebell Organization (IKO) is a worldwide kettlebell‑sport organization and education platform founded in June 2017 by Denis Vasilev. IKO unites athletes, clubs, coaches and event organizers to develop competitive kettlebell sport through education, certified instructor programs, and a structured global competition calendar.
Mission & focus
IKO’s mission is to grow kettlebell sport by:
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Providing high‑quality, coach‑level education and certifications;
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Supporting clubs and coaches with evidence‑based pedagogy and practical workshops;
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Running an active competition system (the Kettlebell Sport World League) that tracks results, publishes rankings, and celebrates athletes and clubs worldwide.
IKO’s Science & Education Department (SED) runs the organization’s instructor certifications, workshops and seminars. Since 2017 IKO has hosted courses and clinics with international experts and coaches*, and provides a structured education pathway for coaches and club leaders. If you want to coach kettlebell sport or improve your competitive performance, IKO offers courses, online resources and certification tracks designed for both new and experienced instructors.
* Ksenia Dedukhina, Sergei Merkulin, Sergei Rudnev, Steve Cotter, Ivan Markov, Audrey Burgio, Brittany van Schravendijk, Abigail Johnston, Kim C Fox, Oksana Nikifor, John Wild Buckley, Valentin Annenko (MMA)
Kettlebell Sport World League (KB WL)
The Kettlebell Sport World League is IKO’s worldwide competition series. The League publishes an annual calendar of events, collects and verifies competition results, and produces sport ranking tables and records for multiple lifts, durations and age divisions. The World League is designed to make kettlebell sport easier to follow, compare and compete in — both for local competitions and international events. In 2022 the League tracked thousands of athletes across dozens of events, demonstrating the format’s global reach.
IKO maintains Sport Ranking Tables and formal Competition Rules & Regulations to ensure consistent scoring and fair play across events. The ranking tables (updated editions) and rules are used to calculate annual League standings and sport ranks for athletes and clubs. IKO accepts verified performances from League events (and in many cases from other recognized competitions) toward athlete ranking applications.
How athletes, and Clubs participate
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Clubs can apply to join League through the World League participation system.
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Individual athletes can apply for IKO Sport Rank; accepted competitive performances are used to compute annual League totals and athlete rank placement.
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Events can be in‑person or follow documented online recording/judging procedures, allowing broad international participation. Practical forms and application pages are available on the KB WL website.
Why choose IKO
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Education + Competition in one organization — a clear pathway from learning to competing.
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Transparent ranking system and published rules that let athletes track progress and compare results worldwide.
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Regular events and an annual League structure that reward consistent performance across the season.