by Larry Eder
Shawn Barber, photo by PhotoRun.net
University of Akron junior, Shawn Barber, has signed a professional athlete contract with Nike, giving up his final year of NCAA elgibility.
In a crazy summer which saw him win the NCAA Champs, Pan-Am Games, and in a remarkablly poised upset of Renaud Lavillenie, WR holder and 2013 World Champ Raphael Holzdeppe, Shawn Barber cleared 5.55m, 5.65m, 5.80m, 5.90m, all on his first attempts. He only missed at 6.00 meters, and with the misses by Renaud Lavillenie (and a miss at an earlier height), Barber went into the lead, and won over Raphael Holzdeppe’s silver.
Coached by his father, Barber, as his father had trained him all these years, Shawn Barber played the game longer than anyone else, winning the gold medal!
ZURICH (SUI): World pole vault champion Shawn Barber will compete at the Weltklasse meet on September 2 as a professional athlete. The 21 year old Canadian has signed a contract with Nike. The Weltklasse Zürich at Zurich Main Station will be both an exciting show and a high-carat sports event. The world’s best pole vaulters will compete at the rather unusual venue on Wednesday, 2 September, starting at6pm. Four medallists of the recent world championships in Beijing will be among the participants.
