The former pole vault world champion, Shawn Barber, has passed away at the age of 29 due to “medical complications,” according to the department of athletics at his former University of Akron in Ohio. Barber, who won the world title in 2015 at the age of 21, died at his home in Kingwood, Texas, on Wednesday. The exact cause of death is not yet known, but he had been facing health issues for some time.

Barber achieved significant success in his career, winning the 2015 world title in Beijing with a vault of 5.90 meters, marking Canada’s first world championships medal in the pole vault. He further solidified his talent by setting a national record of 6.00 meters, making him the youngest man at that time to clear the six-meter barrier.

World Athletics, the governing body for pole vault, expressed deep sadness at the news of Barber’s death. Derek Drouin, a fellow gold medalist for Canada at the 2015 world championships in high jump, described Barber as a trailblazer for Canadian track and field and expressed profound devastation at his passing.