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Canadian and 2015 world pole vault champion Shawnacey (Shawn) Barber was found dead at his home in Kingwood, Texas on January 17, according to his agent Paul Doyle.
Canadian women’s pole vault champion Alysha Newman shared on Instagram.
“I wish I could say heaven received another angel but if I’m being honest it was way too soon,” she wrote. “Shawn, my teammate, my dear friend and confidant. I’m honoured to have been in the same walk of life as you.”
Apparently, he was battling medical issues at the time of his death.
Barber’s best vault is the Canadian record set at 5.93 metres in 2015. The dual Canadian and American citizen was an NCAA, Pan American Games and 2015 Beijing Athletics World Championships champion. Barber was a five-time national champion. He was also a Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
