Canadian world champion pole vaulter Shawn Barber dies at 29 from medical complications

Published January 18, 2024 12:14 PM

By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

Shawn Barber, the Canadian pole vault record holder and 2015 world champion, has died from medical complications. He was 29. Barber died Wednesday at home in Kingwood, Texas, his agent, Paul Doyle, confirmed to The Associated Press. A cause of death was not known yet. Barber had been experiencing health issues. Barber was a standout at the University of Akron, where he captured back-to-back NCAA indoor championships in 2014 and 2015. He won the NCAA outdoor title as well in 2015, before taking gold later that summer at the Pan-Am Games. Barber carried a wave of momentum into worlds that season in Beijing and won gold.

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