By Lambda staff

Carling Zeeman expanded her trophy case with a silver medal she earned for Canada at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships on July 28 in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria.

Last year, Zeeman earned a bronze medal finish marking the first significant women’s sculling victory at a World Championships or Olympic event since 1996.

Zeeman pulled through in the final 750 metres of the 2000-metre race, powering past competitors from Latvia and the Ukraine in 07:33:70.  Germany’s Lisa Schmidla won the event in 07:30.84, while bronze medalist Elza Gulbe of Latvia finished in 07:33:79.

“What an incredible performance,” Amanda Schweinbenz, LU’s rowing coach, said.  “This was Carling’s second experience at the World’s and all of us who have the pleasure of working with her are impressed constantly by her determination.”

“It was a great race; my best time,” Zeeman said. “The conditions were really hot, so it called for a few adjustments in race prep and the race plan.  It paid off and I’m very happy with it.”

Zeeman, who is a product of Canada’s rowing development program and who was named the Laurentian University President’s Athlete of Year in 2012 and again in 2013, previously captured gold in the women’s U23 single event at the RowOntario Championships. She also claimed gold in the women’s U23 single and Championship single at the Royal Canadian Henley, gold in the women’s single at the OUA Championships, gold in the women’s single at the Canadian University Rowing Championships, gold in the women’s U23 single at the National Rowing Championships, and gold in the senior women’s single at the National Rowing Championships.  She has also been named Rowing Canada Aviron’s Female Sculler of the Year, Canadian University Rowing Association Female Athlete of the Year and an Ontario Universities Ahtletics (OUA) All Star.