Canadian pole vault record holder Shawn Barber passed away of medical complications on January 17, 2024 at the age of 29.
His death was confirmed by manager Paul Doyle, the Associated Press reported. A cause of death was not yet known. Barber had been experiencing health issues.
In 2015, he clinched gold at the world championships after defeating Germany’s Raphael Marcel Holzdeppe.
Barber was also a Rio Olympics finalist in a pole vault event but his best vault came in Nevada.
He marked six meters (19 feet, 8 ¼ inches) on Jan. 15, 2016, in Reno, Nevada and it remains the Canadian record.
(with AP inputs)