Shawn Barber Obituary: Shawn Barber, a talented Canadian pole vaulter, passed away unexpectedly, shocking both the athletic community and fans. Barber, who was born on May 27, 1994, in New Mexico, had a successful career that included winning the World Championship in 2015.
There is a void in the sports world when this amazing athlete passed away suddenly, and many people are in grief. As the details surrounding Shawn Barber’s death become clearer, the sports community honours his incredible pole vaulting achievements.
Shawn Barber Obituary
The best pole vaulter in Canada, Shawn Barber, went away on January 17 due to health complications. A University of Akron statement claimed that the 29-year-old Barber had fallen ill and had been unwell for some time. The precise reason for the death is still a mystery.
Shawn was “so much more than just an amazing athlete; he was such a good-hearted person that always put others before himself,” his agent Paul Doyle told the Associated Press on Thursday. “It is tragic to lose such a nice person at such a young age.”
After a tremendous career at Akron, where he broke three NCAA records and set multiple national marks, Barber had immediate success on the international scene.
At the 2015 Pan American Games, he started by breaking Lázaro Borges’ 2011 Pan American record by clearing 5.80 metres. Then, four days later, Barber broke the Canadian national record by clearing 5.93 metres in a Diamond League event in London.
Following an incredible summer in 2015, he cleared 5.90 metres at the 2015 World Championships to win the world championship in Beijing. With the victory, Barber became Canada’s first track and field world champion since 2003 and solidified his reputation as a serious threat on the global stage heading into the 2016 Olympics.
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How Did He Die?
Barber set a new record at the start of that Olympic year when he broke through the much-discussed 6-meter barrier in January 2016 with his career-best vault, which remains the Canadian national record.
After two months, he finished fourth in the World Indoor Championships. In the windy and wet 2016 Summer Olympics, he finished tenth after failing his tries to clear 5.65 metres.
Barber made history by being the first Akron Zip to win an individual national title while still a student when he emerged victorious in the 2014 NCAA Indoor title. He accomplished the accomplishment by overcoming Sam Kendricks of Ole Miss, who went on to shatter the American pole vault record.
Following that, he had an excellent winter and spring season at Akron, where he finished as a finalist for the Bowerman Award, which is given to the best collegiate track and field athlete of the year, and won both the indoor and outdoor crowns.
