Canadian pole vault record holder and 2015 world champion Sean Barber has passed away due to complications. He was 29 years old.
Barber died Wednesday at his home in Kingwood, Texas, his agent Paul Doyle confirmed to CBS News. The cause of death is not yet known. Mr. Barber had health problems.
“Sean was not only a great athlete, but also a very kind-hearted person who always put others before himself,” Doyle said Thursday. “It’s a tragedy to lose such a talented person at such a young age.”
“I can also say that since this news broke, we have heard from people all over the world offering their condolences and sharing fond memories of Sean,” Ms Doyle added. “He was a wonderful person and will be truly missed by so many people around the world.”
Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Barber was an outstanding pole vaulter. University of AkronThere he won back-to-back NCAA indoor championships in 2014 and 2015. He also won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in 2015 and won gold at the Pan Am Games later that summer. Barber took the world by storm that season in Beijing. He won the gold medal by defeating Germany’s Raphael Marcel Holzdeppe.
A year later, Barber reached the finals in the pole vault at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where Brazil’s Thiago Blas won.
Barber’s highest jump was 6 meters (19 feet, 8 1/4 inches) on January 15, 2016 in Reno, Nevada. His record remains a Canadian record.
He is survived by his mother, Ann; his father, George; and his brother David.
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