RIP: Shawn Barber - 2015 pole vault world champ and Canadian record holder - has died at age 29

Truth will come out eventually. Healthy 29 year olds don’t just drop dead. May he RIP.

Why did he retire from competition at 24 years of age?

Thank you for your work. LRC is almost back to where it was five years ago through diligent work.

I wouldn't label people speculating as pushing an agenda. They are not. They are simply guessing what the cause of death may be because guess what, when any young person dies, it's a natural human inclination to be curious of the reason why it unfortunately occurred. Any death not attributed to old age, people are curious as to the reason why. It doesn't entail they're disrespectful, because even the people closest to the deceased would want to know the reason why. In fact, the speculation could be healthy if it were to raise awareness in some capacity and not characterize the individual in an unfair light.

The news outlets don't get any flack for being "disrespectful," when in fact they're the most disrespectful and profiting off of someone's death while inciting the widespread speculation, some of which would inevitably be toxic if untrue, misleading or not supportive of the deceased.

This is obviously a tragic death and painful to hear that a great young man was battling an illness for at least a while prior to his death.

Sammy Wanjiru, Tori Bowie

it doesn’t lessen the tragedy, but there are other examples.

But we knew their causes of death almost immediately. That’s why I qualified the Shawn Barber circumstances as “mysterious”.

We did not find out about Tori Bowie's death immediately. And it is up to the family whether it releases cause of his death. I personally hope the family does not so you voyeurs can burn not knowing.

I’m not speculating about his cause of death, at all.