Understanding European Categories - Help!

[glrfcentral]

Hey there European Rowers,

 

Hoping someone can help me understand the European classification for age categories. As I go through the pending articles for GLRF Categories, and read the translations in English, I am totally lost by all the different categories for age.

 

In the United States, and I think Canada, all Under 19 rowers are juniors. That's it. But in Italy, in France, in Spain, and even in South America, there are these terms for cadets and juniors and minime, and then seniors.

 

When an article refers to Seniors, for rowing in the UK, US, and Canada, that usually implies 23 yo + competitors.

 

Part of the classifications, I believe, are due to the younger age of rowers, who start at age 11 which means they are rowing in what we call middle school or junior high.

 

Here is one of the articles that references all of the categories:

 

http://www.glrf.info...s-ch-fr-rowing/

 

After I click on the translate button, I get the following age categories:

• 500 meters (juniors)
  
• 1000 meters (minimal - is that novice or what?)
  
• 1500 meters (cadets - okay, totally lost ...)
  
• 2000 meters (juniors and seniors - okay, is this for more experienced juniors of age 14 - 16 [juniors] and then older juniors, 17 - 18 [seniors]?)
  

[Edit] And here is yet another article with even more age categories. Some of them I can understand because I can read French at an intermediate level but still, it is bewildering:

 

http://www.glrf.info/categories/glrf_juniors/articles/8689-competition-daviron-en-salle-ouverte-a-tous-a-mondeville-ce-samedi-tendance-ouest-google-news-be-rowing/

• Minimes 1 000 m
  
• Cadets & cadettes 1 500 m
  
• Juniors & Seniors débutants 1 000 m
  
• Juniors & Seniors confirmés 2 000 m
  
• Challenge Inter-Entreprises 4 x 500 m
  
• Challenge Universitaires 4 x 500 m
  
• Course Open Loisirs & Vétérans 1 000 m
  
• Relais Hommes & Mixtes 4 x 500 m
  
• Relais Dames 4 x 500 m
  

Thanks for any help you can provide. If anyone replies, could you provide the age classification system for your country? It may be different for Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy ...! I would really like to know ALL the age classification terms from age 11 to over 23, including University.

 

- Brian

[aperiseb]

Hi Brian,

 

Each country is using its own system. There is no "standard" but some influence to be consistent

 

One major influence is coming from the International Federation (FISA).

You have a Senior category that is above 18 yo, "Under 23" (former "Senior B"), and Junior (less than 18yo).

No more age categories (instead of Master cat.).

 

FISA is not going to youger age categories, even if "Junior" is less than 18yo without mention of a younger age limit.

 

But in each countries you need to promote for new and young rowers, that is why you have so much different type of classification possible.

 

Exemple in my country in France, there is a new classification from last Year : http://www.avironfrance.asso.fr/EspaceClub/Licences/Categories.php

 

We have no more "Cadets" or "Minimes" like in your previous example.

 

Hope that this information will help you.

 

Best regards

Seb