Pole Vault World Champion Shawn Barber dies at the age of 29. Paul Doyle, his agent, informed the Associated Press about his demise at his residence in Kingwood, Texas, on Wednesday.
The cause of death is not revealed yet, but the outlet said that Barber was having some health issues.
On Instagram, they revealed the death of Shawn Barber, “A friend that cannot be forgotten, Canadian Olympic Pole Vaulter Shawn Barber has passed away”. Through this post, the management has confirmed the news.
This person will always stay in our hearts and his presence will be missed. They cite some of his achievements including winning the pole vault world championship in 2015. The win earned Canada its first-ever world pole vault medal and was the country’s first athletics world title in 12 years, according to CTV News.
Also Read: Taylor Swift steps out to Big Apple after attending
Barber was also a student-athlete at the University of Akron and won many recognitions such as 2014 and 2015 NCAA Indoor Pole Vault Champion and 2015 NCAA Outdoor Pole Vault Champion.
In 2015, he achieved a Gold Medal in the Pan American Games and was a finalist candidate for the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
AP quoted that Barber’s best vault was six meters, which he obtained on Jan. 15, 2016, in Reno, Nevada, and remains the Canadian record.
Also Read: Kim Kardashian calls her daughter
Barber was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and was a dual-citizen of Canada and the United States, according to CTV News. George, his father, represented Canada in the pole vault at the 1983 World Championships. He was born in Ontario, Canada.
His achievements were acknowledged on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Athletics Canada, the national governing body for track and field. They posted, “Our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Shawn Barber, Canadian Pole Vaulter – 2015 World Champion, Rio 2016 Olympian, and Canadian Record Holder.”
According to the Associated Press, Barber is survived by his brother David, mother Ann, and father.
