Pole vault World Champion Shawn Barber comes out as gay

Athlete Shawn Barber has come out as gay.

The star, 22, who was pole vault World Champion in 2015, opened up about his sexuality in a brave social media post.

Shawn said in a Facebook message to his followers: “Gay and proud! Thank you to my parents for being such a great support.

“I continue to grow as a person and have a great support group. My parents are my greatest support and have helped me through a lot recently. To my friends, you are always my friends and I love you too!” he added.

By coming out, Shawn – who finished tenth in Rio overall – has become one of the highest profile gay athletes in the world.

The star has a successful career ahead of him. Back in 2016, he vaulted 6 meters, the youngest man to ever do it and 21st of all time.

He also holds the NCAA indoor record in the pole vault at 5.91 meters (19.38 feet), competing for the Univ. of Akron.

Shawn joins the ranks of out LGBT+ Olympians who include the likes of Tom Daley, Matthew Mitcham and Amini Fonua.

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