What do Intermediate, Senior and Elite mean, and which non-Masters events can I enter?
Rule- USA
- USRowing
- Masters rowing
- Age 21 and over
- Adult recreation
- USRowing Rules of Rowing
- 2026 rules
- Rowers
These are skill classes (Rules of Rowing 4-104.2), set separately for sweep and sculling:
- Intermediate: anyone who hasn't advanced to Senior or Elite.
- Senior: has won an Intermediate or Senior 2,000 m event at the USRowing National Championship regatta or the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.
- Elite: has been on the USRowing (or any country's) Senior National Team, including as a spare, or medaled at the U23 World Championships in that category. An Elite sweep rower is automatically Senior for sculling, and vice versa. Anyone who isn't an amateur is treated as Elite for all events.
Where you can race: you can move up a skill class but not down (4-103(a)). An Intermediate can enter Senior or Elite events; a Senior can't enter Intermediate events.
- Masters events are classified by age, not skill, so your skill class never affects your Masters eligibility.
- Masters and Youth results don't change your skill class.
- Any change of class takes effect on January 1 after the year of competition.
Updated 21 Oct 2026