The pole vaulter Barber, who died on Wednesday, is said to have had health problems.
– Shawn was such a kind-hearted person who always put others before himself, says Barber’s agent Paul Doyle to the AP.
– It is tragic to lose such a good person at such a young age.
Barber’s personal best was 6.00, still a Canadian record, and when he won the WC final in Beijing in 2015, he jumped 5.90.
The last result for Barber, who had a long layoff after his World Cup title, was 5.50 at an indoor event in Cottbus, Germany, four years ago.
He competed against the Swedish pole vault star Armand Duplantis several times.