[1] Ling had his first international experience at the 2012 World Rowing U23 Championships in Trakai, Lithuania, where he came eighth with the lightweight men's four.

[4] Ling became an elite rower in 2014,[5] and at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, he competed in the lightweight men's double sculls with Alistair Bond.

[7] In early 2015, Ling became national champion in the lightweight men's single sculls at Lake Ruataniwha, beating Peter Taylor.

[8] At the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France, with "almost textbook-perfect race strategy" he won the A final ahead of Rajko Hrvat of Slovenia and Miloš Stanojević of Serbia.

[9][10][11] At the 2016 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, Ling was partnered with Toby Cunliffe-Steel in the lightweight men's double sculls.