Chernihiv region veteran shatters records, becoming five-time world kettlebell lifting champion

Serhii Horkavyi, who hails from Borzna in Chernihiv region, has set a world record in kettlebell lifting for the fifth time.

The Koriukivka District Military Administration reports this.

The Ukrainian set a world record at the European Kettlebell Lifting Championship in Italy.

Serhii Horkaviy is a retired major, a participant in hostilities in the east of Ukraine in 2014-2015, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

It is worth mentioning that back in July, Serhii Horkavyi achieved the title of three-time world champion in kettlebell lifting. The event took place in Egl, Switzerland. Horkavyi currently works as a physical education instructor at Syadryn Lyceum and also serves as a coach at Koriukivka Children's and Youth Sports School.

Serhii Horkavyi is a resident of Koriukivka. He has been doing kettlebell lifting for three years.

"In Poland, I became a four-time world record holder. I set four records: the clean and jerk of two kettlebells, the snatch, and the combined event. The fourth record was the clean and jerk of one kettlebell, the half marathon lasted 30 minutes," Serhii previously told Suspilne.

Even though Serhii Horkavyi first started competing in kettlebell lifting just three years ago, he has been acquainted with this type of sports gear since his school days.

"In the seventh grade, they gave me a 16-kilogram kettlebell. I worked with it every day. I competed in competitions and took first places," the man recalls.

And at school and university, he was engaged in freestyle wrestling.

"At school, I fulfilled the standard for a candidate for master of sports. At the pedagogical institute, I confirmed the standard. In 1986, I led a freestyle wrestling section," Serhii Horkavyi says.

According to him, kettlebells returned to his life after one phone call:

"I got a call from Borzna and was offered to take part in the competition. Then, out of 30 participants, I took 6th place."

Serhii Horkavyi said that he trained at home for the first two years, running three kilometers almost every morning and doing kettlebell workouts three days a week. However, for the past year, he has been working out at a gym in Koriukivka.

Among the athlete's students are already regional champions who received scholarships from the Koriukivka City Council.

"I have six students who received awards this year. They haven't had the opportunity to travel to competitions in Ukraine yet, as they have only been practicing for six months. However, there are regional champions among them who were granted scholarships by the Koriukivka City Council. I showcase my and their achievements and competitions on my Facebook page," Serhii Horkavyi says.

According to Serhii Horkavyi, his team of the Youth Sports School in Koriukivka took third place in February 2024 at the open weightlifting championship in Chernihiv. The coach says that in teaching his students he gives priority to the correct execution of the technique.

For reference:

It should be noted that freediver from Ukraine Kateryna Sadurska has set a second world record. The athlete, holding her breath, dived without fins to a depth of 84 meters. This is equal to a quarter of the height of the Eiffel Tower.

It was also reported that during the Ukrainian swimming championship in Zhytomyr, 100-year-old Heorhiy Chyzhevsky set three world records.