Pole Vaulter Shawn Barber Passes Away At 29 Due To Medical Complications

Summary

• Canadian athletic community mourns the passing of pole vaulter Shawn Barber 
• The 29 year old who was a 5 time Canadian champion passed away due to medical complications
• Barber had a successful career with a number of controversies tied to his name

The Canadian athletic community and staff at Betting.ca were left in shock after news broke that 5 time Canadian pole vault champion Shawn Barber had passed away at the age of 29. Barber’s death was put down to medical complications.

Canadian Athletes Mourn Barber’s Passing

Barber will be remembered for his feats in pole vault as he holds the record in Canada. The 5 time Canadian champion also holds accolades for winning the 2015 World Championship in Beijing, China and made it to the 2016 RIO Olympics final where he finished in 10^th place. He stopped competing back in 2020 and was living in Kingwood, Texas.

The 29 year old ended up dying at home after battling illness and suffering from medical complications. As of this writing, the exact cause of his death is not known. The Canadian athletic community took to social media to pay their condolences and tributes to Shawn Barber.

Athletics Canada took to X and said

His agent, Paul Doyle said

More than just an incredible athlete, Shawn was such a good-hearted person that always put others ahead of himself. It’s tragic to lose such a good person at such a young age

Canadian pole vaulter and teammate Alysha Newman said

Controversies That Were Tied To Barber’s Name

Shawn Barber was in the news after his father and coach George Barber was banned by Athletics Canada in Nov 2015 after it came to light that George was convicted in 2007 for having sex with a student while he was employed by a high school in the US.

Shawn was first suspended than later stripped of his title at the 2016 Rio Olympics for failing a drug test. He claimed he ingested cocaine after engaging in sex with a woman. In 2017, he used a Facebook post to tell the world he was gay.

Ava Tremblay Author Hello, My name is Ava. I am a keen sports enthusiast and enjoying not only watching but also playing a variety of them throughout the year. Ones that I particularly enjoy are reflected in the posts I tend to write about, stemmed from my experience in college athletics, coverage for the NBA and keen attendee...