Former world pole vault champion Shawn Barber dies age 29

Shawn Barber, the 29-year-old Canadian record holder and 2015 world champion in pole vault, passed away at his home in Kirkwood, Texas, on Wednesday due to medical complications, as confirmed by his agent Paul Doyle to Reuters.

Describing Barber as more than just an exceptional athlete, Doyle expressed the tragic loss of a good-hearted individual who consistently prioritized others over himself. Barber’s notable achievements include winning gold at the 2015 Pan American Games and, shortly after, securing a surprise victory at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where he outperformed notable competitors like silver medallist Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany and bronze medallist Renaud Lavillenie.

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Barber’s remarkable jump of 6.0 meters on January 15, 2016, still stands as the Canadian record. He also represented Canada at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Starting his pole vault journey at the age of seven, Barber made significant strides in the sport, breaking the U.S. high school record by over a foot. He went on to achieve back-to-back NCAA indoor titles for the University of Akron in 2014 and 2015, followed by the 2015 NCAA outdoor title.