Shawn Barber, world champion pole vaulter, has died. He was 29 years old.
His agent, Paul Doyle, told The Associated Press that he died at his home in Kingwood, Texas, on Wednesday. Although the cause of death has not been released, Barber had health issues, according to the media release.
His management agency confirmed the news in an Instagram post on Thursday that read: “A friend who will never be forgotten. Canadian Olympic pole vaulter Shawn Barber has passed away. 🕊️.”
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Doyle Management expressed that he will be greatly missed and cited some of his achievements, including winning the world pole vault championship in 2015. The win gave Canada its first world pole vault medal and was the country’s first track and field world title in 12 years , according to CTV News.
Barber was also a student-athlete at the University of Akron, with multiple titles to his name, including the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Indoor Pole Vault Champion and the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Pole Vault Champion.
He became a gold medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games and was a finalist at the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics. Barber’s best jump was six meters, accomplished on Jan. 15, 2016, in Reno, Nevada, and remains a Canadian record, according to the Associated Press.
American Olympian Jim Hines, the first sprinter to run 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, has died at the age of 76.
According to CTV News, Barber was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico and held dual Canadian-American citizenship. His father George was born in Ontario, Canada and competed for Canada in the pole vault at the 1983 world championships.
Athletics Canada, the national governing body for athletics, honored his achievement on Xformerly known as Twitter, writing, “Our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Shawn Barber, Canadian pole vaulter – 2015 World Champion, 2016 Rio Olympian and Canadian record holder.”
Shawn Barber at the Oregon Convention Center on March 17, 2016 in Portland, Oregon.
Christian Petersen/Getty
“More than just an amazing athlete, Shawn was such a good-hearted person who always put others before himself. It’s tragic to lose such a good person at such a young age,” Doyle told The Associated Press.
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Barber is survived by his father, mother Ann and brother David, writes the Associated Press.
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