Canadian Shawn Barber, world pole vault champion in 2015, has died at the age of 29, his agent, Paul Doyle, announced Thursday. “A friend we will never forget. Canadian Olympic pole vaulter Shawn Barber has died, the latter wrote. We will miss him very much. »
Shawn Barber won the world title in 2015 in Beijing by clearing a bar of 5.90m. During this competition, he beat the German Raphael Holzdeppe and Renaud Lavillenie, bronze medalist. “I can’t believe you’re gone, Shawn. Rest in peace my friend,” reacted the French champion shortly after the news was announced.
The athlete, one of the few on the men’s circuit to have revealed his homosexualitydied at his home in Texas following a medical complication according to The Team. Paul Doyle gave no further explanation. “It’s a terrible loss, Shawn was a person who had a lot of heart. He was a good person, generous with others. Dying so young is difficult to accept,” added the agent.