Canadian world champion pole vaulter Shawn Barber passed away at his home in Kingwood, Texas on 17 January 2024 at the age of 29 from medical complications. University of Akron’s athletics department said in a statement that he had been experiencing poor health for some after had fallen ill.
Wrote about 🇨🇦 pole vaulter Shawn Barber a number of times — about when he came out publicly in 2017 in the wake of his world championship win a couple years earlier.
“Gay and proud!” he wrote in a post. There was joy. And excitement for what was ahead.
Gone way too young.
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) January 18, 2024
The university described him as a well-liked teammate and competitor. Shawn had been a member of the University of Akron’s track and field team as a college student.
His agent Paul Doyle told the Associated Press that Barber was more than just an incredible athelet. He was a kind-hearted person who always put his efforts into the game. However, it’s a tragic loss to lose such a very nice person at a young age.
Shawn was the record holder for the men’s pole vault which was achieved in JANUARY 2016. He won the gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. He won the 2016 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China.
He won the NCAA championship three times. Shawn made his Olympics debut in 2016 at the Rio de Janeiro Games earning a spot in the final. He recorded his best vault 6 metres which is still a Canadian record.
Shawn Barber lives with his parents George Barber (Father) and Ann Barber (Mother) and his brother David Barber.
Our thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Shawn Barber, Canadian Pole Vaulter – 2015 World Champion, Rio 2016 Olympian and Canadian Record Holder. pic.twitter.com/Mn7DcVKgqy
— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) January 18, 2024
Shawn Barber Girlfriend, Was He Gay? Partner
Canadian world champion pole vaulter Shawn Barber came out publicly as gay after taking the Facebook in the early morning hours on 24 April 2017 and posted this message on Facebook. He wrote,
“Gay and proud! Thank you to my parents for being such a great support. I continue to grow as a person and have a great support group. My parents are my greatest support and have helped me through a lot recently. To my friends, you are always my friends and I love you too!”
Shawn was one of the highest-profile and most successful current openly gay athletes in the world.
Barber Shawn’ girlfriend’s name is not known. However, he was gay but he never revealed anything about his partner if he had.
Shawn Barber was bron in Las Cruces, New Mexico but his nationality was Canadian-American. His father George Barber was born in Kincardine, Ont. Shawn’s father competed for Canada in the pole vault at the 1983 World Championships.
George coached Shawn until being banned in November 2015 by Athletics Canada. His father was charged with having physical relations with a student in his 2007 criminal conviction. At that time, Geroge was employed at a U.S. High School.
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