Shawn Barber Passed Away: World Champion Pole Vaulter bids adieu to the world

Fans are devastated by the news of the sad demise of Shawn Barber, the Wolrd Champion Pole Vaulter. The Canadian pole vaulter holds the record of the 2015 world champion. What makes the news even more devastating is the fact that the pole vaulter was just 29 years old. The cause of death of the pole vaulter are reported to be medical complications.

Shawn Barber passed away on Wednesday in his Kingwood home in Texas. The news has been confirmed by Paul Doyle, Shawn Barber's agent. The exact cause of death is however not known yet. However, it is known that Shawn Barber had been facing health issues for a while.

Doyle expressed on Thursday his grief by saying that, “More than just an incredible athlete, Shawn was such a good-hearted person that always put others ahead of himself.” He further said that it is a tragic incidence to lose a good person like Barber at such a young age.

Shawn Barber: Early Life

Shawn Barber was born in Las Cruces, in New Mexico. Shawn Barber's father, however, was born in Ontario.

Shawn Barber is Canadian by nationality. He holds records in the men's pole vault at 6.00m. The record was set in January 2016 in Reno, Nevada. The 2015 world championship was also won by Barber with a mark of 5.90m in Beijing, China.

The NCAA outdoor title was also won by Shawn Barber for the University of Akron in the year 2015. This made the man win the second of consecutive indoor titles in the very same season. The year was special for Shawn Barber in terms of victories, as he won one of his five Canadian titles in the year 2015.

In the very next year, i.e. in 2016, Barber entered the final at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in pole vault event. The event was won by Thiago Braz of Brazil.