New International Union of Kettlebell Lifting (IUKL) protocols for 2015 were released on Facebook today; the most noteworthy piece of which is the inclusion of 16kg One Arm Long Cycle (OALC) for women in the World Cup and Grand Prix kettlebell events.

Oddly enough, Amateur and Professional women will BOTH be lifting 16kg for OALC - that doesn't quite add up. The fact that Professional women competing in Long Cycle will not be lifting 24kg is causing a great deal of frustration from lifters. While I wholeheartedly agree that the 24kg should be on the table, I'm choosing to look at the new protocols optimistically. The inclusion of Long Cycle for women is a step in the right direction, even if it's moving more slowly than all of us would like.

Personally, I think competitions across the board should start allowing women to lift double bells for Long Cycle and Jerk. Lifters like Katarina Helcmanovska have already shown us what is possible. Female Kettlebell Sport athletes are increasingly hitting higher numbers in 24kg OALC (Misty with 123 reps at the West Coast Classic, Abigail Johnston hitting 125 at the GSU Cardiff Open), so it's only a matter of time before they eclipse the 24kg and move on to 28kg and 32kg. At that heavy of a weight, I feel double bells could be a safer option - less weight and stress on only one side of the back - that offers just as much or more of a challenge.

What are your thoughts - is the inclusion of 16kg Long Cycle a win for female lifters or are you upset that the 24kg is not on the table? What is your opinion on women lifting double bells in competition? 

See the 2015 protocols on the IUKL Facebook page.