At the 2016 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, Ling was partnered with Toby Cunliffe-Steel in the lightweight men's double sculls. They would have had to be within the first three spots to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but came sixth and thus missed out. At the 2017 New Zealand rowing nationals at Lake Ruataniwha, he came second to Matthew Dunham in the premier lightweight singles.