Laryssa Biesenthal

{{Infobox sportsperson

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|6|22|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Walkerton, Ontario, Canada

| spouse = Iain Brambell

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}

}}

Laryssa Biesenthal (born June 22, 1971){{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bi/laryssa-biesenthal-1.html |title=Laryssa Biesenthal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202225214/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bi/laryssa-biesenthal-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 2, 2016}} is a Canadian former representative rower.{{cite web |publisher=World Rowing |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/1003/ |title=Laryssa BIESENTHAL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714221906/http://www.worldrowing.com/athletes/athlete/1003/ |archive-date=July 14, 2018}} She is a dual Olympic medallist and represented Canada in sweep-oared and sculling boats at four World Rowing Championships, medalling on each occasion. She is married to Olympic rower Iain Brambell.{{cite web |url=http://www.rowingcanada.org/national_team/bios/lwt_men_08/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080817010253/http://www.rowingcanada.org/national_team/bios/lwt_men_08/ |archive-date=August 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |title=2008 Lightweight Men |website=rowingcanada.org |access-date=July 15, 2024}}

Rowing career

Biesenthal first started rowing as a student at the University of British Columbia in 1990.

She made her national representative debut for Canada at the 1995 World Rowing Championships in Tampere, Finland, where she won a silver medal in the quadruple sculls event with Kathleen Heddle, Marnie McBean and Diane O’Grady.{{Cite web |title=Laryssa BIESENTHAL |url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/laryssa-biesenthal |website=Olympics.com |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=March 17, 2022}} This same quad won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Biensenthal went on to win a silver medal at the 1997 World Rowing Championships, silver and bronze medals at the 1998 World Rowing Championships, and another bronze at the 1999 World Championships.

Biensenthal won two more medals before retiring, gold at the 1999 Pan American Games, and a final bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.{{Cite web |title=Laryssa Biesenthal |url=https://olympic.ca/team-canada/laryssa-biesenthal/ |access-date=March 17, 2022 |website=Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website |date=September 18, 2011 |language=en-US |archive-date=December 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226100812/https://olympic.ca/team-canada/laryssa-biesenthal/ |url-status=live }}

Coaching career

After her retirement from competitive rowing, she worked as a coach for the Canadian national team prior to the 2004 Summer Games.{{Cite web |title=Laryssa Biesenthal (2014) - UBC Sports Hall of Fame |url=https://gothunderbirds.ca/honors/ubc-sports-hall-of-fame/laryssa-biesenthal/2 |access-date=March 17, 2022 |website=University of British Columbia Athletics |language=en |archive-date=April 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423090721/https://gothunderbirds.ca/honors/ubc-sports-hall-of-fame/laryssa-biesenthal/2 |url-status=live }} She has been Head Coach at the Brentwood College School on Vancouver Island and in 2022 took a senior coaching role at the Sydney University Boat Club.{{Cite web |url=https://www.subc.com.au/post/boat-club-announces-new-senior-coach-appointment |title=SUBC announcement |access-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926170400/https://www.subc.com.au/post/boat-club-announces-new-senior-coach-appointment |url-status=live }}

Biesenthal has worked as a World Rowing Development Coach in Asia and Oceania was inducted into the University of British Columbia Hall of Fame in 2014.