The Hot Ginger Canadian Pole Vaulter Who Got Had to Take Coke to Fuck A Woman Off Craigslist Finally Comes Out as Gay

The Craigslist story. The closet is a terribly dark place for gay athletes.

where are his dick pics?

Who?

Ah, okay now I'm caught up. Outsports has the story as well, but of course leaves out the cocaine and Craigslist part

The whole cocaine story, it is obvious he was pnping through craigslist

he's fucking ADORABLE !!!!!!

He's cute

Another hot Canadian for you American DLers Jealous bitches?

For woman off Craigslist, read = Hot twunk off Grindr who was hosting a bareback orgy.

At least he didn't get HIV.

If I hadn't had some familiarity with this guy's story (courtesy of DL), I wouldn't have known WTF the OP was attempting to communicate in the thread's title.

His name is Shawnacy???

[post redacted because independent.co.uk thinks that links to their ridiculous rag are a bad thing. Somebody might want to tell them how the internet works. Or not. We don't really care. They do suck though. Our advice is that you should not click on the link and whatever you do, don't read their truly terrible articles.]

Hot Ginger

Damn he's hot

Why hasn't everyone learned not to link to the Independent here yet? R13 I'm tired of reading that redacted blurb!

DLers have the worst taste in men.

He can vault my pole anytime. Watch out Tom!

[quote]Hot Ginger

LOL...The two are mutually exclusive, unless by hot you mean he has a fever or is on fire.

Yes, gingers as so ugly.

Of course Outsports whitwashes his story, because he's white and washed.

Does he need a boyfriend?

OMG! Okay, so ... oh man, he was totally hitting it off with a fellow pole vaulter during the Olympics. They were shown together a couple of times and looked like they were into each other. Those who followed the threads will know him well. I screen capped some moments.

The weather delayed their event so they were just waiting around...

Sweetie!

^^^Great grandson of Stan Laurel^^^

Good looking dude, but the freckles are kind of gross when close up.

He has been awarded a contract with Glade air freshener, to help with his problem "down there."

Canadian -> Uncut -> Dickcheese

No thanks.

I can just imagine him with that sweet mouth crammed with cock.

No one is "gay and proud." At best we're gay and OK.

Too bad he totally underachieved at the Olympics.

Another Canadian hottie named Shawn. He's yummy.

sweet ass

lovely

R17 - Well, at least he's not 60, furry and fitfat. That's the true 'DL type'.

R30 - Fuck off you miserable mutilated old man. Like it matters that you think you can say 'no thanks' to anyone. What a joke.

assuming the position

Wheres the other thread on the hot muscular blonde twink who looks like Zach Morris?

another fake" gay".

Yaaas! He's hot and Canadian. Who's had him though? Is he single?

R9 Hey now.... There is only one Twunk.

Thiago Da Silva, who won the pole vault Olympic gold medal for host Brazil in 2016, is way hotter.

Those ginger buns must taste like heaven.

Those ginger buns must taste like heaven.

Those ginger buns must taste like heaven.

R44 is obviously a New Yorker. he is the ideal type for NYC DLers.

Finally - an attractive gay Canadian!

R44 Yeah many were thirsting over Thaigo during the Olympics. The pole vaulting final was actually really eventful. The French dude, who was the previous champion, took silver and was booed by the crowd. The American who won bronze was just happy to be there.

Thaigo looked good up on that podium. God, I love the Olympics.

He's from Texas.

He should have been cast as Archie on The CW!

[quote]finally-comes-out-as-gay

So you mean he told us what the entire world knew anyway

He's actually Texan. He just decided to represent Canada athletically when he failed to make the American team when he was 18. His dad is Canadian but he went to high school in Texas and college at Akron.

He's a cutie.

[quote]DLers have the worst taste in men.

Yeah....but this kid is cute. Like a hamster or a puppy.

Basement dwellers piling on again.

He's fucking hot.

And he's American as others have noted-- Texas boy.

Anyone who posts Outsports shit here gets blocked. Fucking homophobic neocons.

OP, I hereby charge you with high crimes against the English language for that savage medley of words (which never did any harm to you) that you purport to be a proper subject line. My fervent desire is to see you dangled by your participles until the gerunds come home.

I'd tap his creamy ass. But then, I'm a ginger lover.

R57, he's also half Canadian. His dad is Canadian.

I think it's fair that both Canada and USA claim him. He is half Canadian and competes for Canada but he was born in USA and has lived there most of his life. He has dual citizenship.

Pole vault isprobably the last remaining men sports where athletes still wear short shorts. Broad loose shorts are now the norm in basketball and tennis.

[quote]His name is Shawnacy???

Maybe he's only part white.

And part ginger

Typos aside I don't get OP's thread title.

You don't take coke to help you get it up. That ain't how coke works. Going heavy on coke actually has the complete opposite effect.

R66 said it; now I don't have to.

That Craigslist story sounds so fake but the woman did testify on his behalf - his Dad must have paid her to save his career. Although is cocaine considered a "performance enhancing drug" like roids or HGH? Why do sports associations care if athletes get high on their own time?

Did he go into pole vaulting because the other kids told him he was a "pole smoker"? We'll never know. But it's certainly possible.

R68 in the Craiglist story he met at the hotel room with the woman and her boyfriend. He told the antidoping commission that the sexual encounter was with the woman only and the man was not actively taking part. But it could have very well been a Three way but they omittted that part to save his closet as the commission was unlike to press on that point as understanding which sex act was performed wasn't their main aim.

He's cute.

Love his Hobbit hair. Also looks Ancient Greek statues with the curls.

R38, stop shaming circumcised cocks you smegma-covered goy shitbag.

R72 Is that really his hair color? He's got natural highlight? lol The freckles are still freaky, though. I keep thinking skin disease.

Freckles are common, not sure why they trigger you so.

I think he's cute and I'd love to vault his pole.

Tinymeat

Gingers are rarely tinymeat, r77

I hope he got some from that Latvian pole vaulter he was chummy with during the Olympics. They were cute together.

R75 Because I am not white, maybe?

R80 I'm not white either and I know freckles are common.

R81 I know freckles are common in the very light skinned, but they look like skin disease to someone who doesn't see it on a regular basis.

I want him.

Get in the line, R84.

His brother posted on his Facebook page:

I'm so proud of my little brother! To everyone out there be who you are, and don't let anything stand in your way!

and then replying to some religious nutter:

It's exactly how it sounds. He is who he is, he shouldn't have to feel like he has to conform to the way society or religion wants him to be. He shouldn't let anything stand in the way of his own happiness.

Now he can bang all the boys he wants.

R58 why are they considered homophobic?

.......

R89 Sex on a stick, literally.

VPL alert

Awww, the brother's cute too. And a flight attendant. Interesting.

I wonder if he ever competed with superhung stud and fellow poler Andrew Zollner!

Haha, I remember Andrew Zollner and his giant pole that went viral r94. That is the first thing I think of when I think of pole vaulters.

Is his big bro gay, too? Cuz he's a flight attendant, you know.

From Texas? A Trump supporting family?

R23 The other cutie's name is Pauls Pujats. Does he ping?

Honestly? I think he might be. God, I hope they fucked.

Why is his brother not a ginger? Was he adopted?

Yes, Rose.

Genetics is complicated. r100

He is so hot. The gays really lucked out with him. Can't wait to continue to support him. I hope he has a lot of success. Btw, I wish he would give an interview, statement.. anything after coming out. I realize it can be overwhelming, but still.

A couple of guys on ATRL said that they've seen him on Grindr.

I wish I'd meet him on grindr!

R104 is that considered an upgrade from craigslist .

Is he a top or a bottom?

R107 My fantasy is he will act like a top and once you turn him on he'll bottom.

Has it been verified that he actual met a woman? Did he just say woman to cover up that he's gay?

I imagine with his pole dexterity he must give fantastic handjobs.

Had him, huge foreskin and lots of cheese. I was in heaven!

My guess is that he either lied or it was a threesome, R109.

Or he could have been confused/in denial about his sexuality and he did indeed hook up with a woman, god knows it happens.

True, R113. Not everyone is a gold star gay.

R109 The woman went to testify in front of the antidoping board that was evaluating his case.

R112 is probably right though re the threesome. They said her boyfriend was also present, only watching. But I guess he may have been a bit more involved. The antidoping board didn't press on that point as it wasn't crucial for the case

The full report of the Dispute Resolution Secretariat (Tribunal):

After rejecting a couple of untrustworthy replies to his posting, he received a response from a man, referred to as M in this decision, who sent him a photograph of a woman, referred to as W in this decision. Mr. Barber found her to be attractive. She was described as a mother of two. He thought a mother would be “more cautious, reserved”. Mr. Barber arranged with M to meet him and W in a hotel room at 9 p.m. that evening not far from where he was staying in Edmonton. His evidence was that he assumed, by the fact that M responded to him, that the latter and W would both be free from drugs and disease, so he did not ask them about this. .... ...

... The Athlete made his way to the hotel room at the appointed time. He testified that when he arrived and thereafter, he did not see any cocaine in the room, nor did he see W use cocaine. When he entered the room, W was in the bathroom and she yelled out to him that she was doing her make-up. M was in the room and Mr. Barber went and sat on the bed and had a talk with him. W then exited the bathroom and offered Mr. Barber a drink which he declined because he hadn’t mixed the ingredients. He had never met either person before. He observed that W was very talkative with both him and M. To the Athlete, W didn’t seem high on drugs, but was acting like she’d had a drink or two and she had a drink in the room. She told him that she was visiting her friend in Edmonton, that she worked as a hygienist and had children. Their chat lasted about five minutes. He began kissing her and did not notice any unusual taste. Their sexual encounter lasted about 30 minutes. They kissed on and off during that time. He said that M remained “around” the room, exiting and re-entering from time to time “for the most part”. He was not sure why, but surmised it was to provide a safe environment for W.

W confirmed that they kissed a number of times during their encounter of about 30 minutes. She didn’t see M leave the room during this time and believed that he remained in the room. It was arranged that he would do so. Mr. Barber didn’t ask her if she was high or on drugs. There was no conversation on that topic. She confirmed at the hearing that she did indeed have two children and was a hygienist. W testified that the encounter was a “one-time situation” for her. She was quite upset in recounting the events, obviously found it very difficult and seemed regretful about the whole thing.

He still hasn't commented on his coming out. In a way I admire him for not being a famewhore like Gus Kenworthy, he was everywhere after coming out. I do wish he would have just said something along the lines of "thank you for all the support" though. Oh well, maybe he will eventually.

For some reason Shawn's sexual encounter with M and W makes me uncomfortable. He seems like such a sweet kid, and he probably is, who found himself in a seedy situation. I wonder if that was a catalyst for him coming out. Hope his sexual encounters will be healthier from henceforth. He should shack up with the Latvian pole vaulter he was cozying up to at the Olympics.

But is he a top or a bottom? Who's had him?

I've decided that the Latvian had him, and that our dear Shawnacy gave up that ginger hole.

So... the guys over on Outsports are pissed that Shawn didn't want to give them an exclusive interview on coming out. I find it admirable that his coming out was so low-key. There is no need to give a big interview, just saying you're gay should be enough. I agree with this one comment I saw on his FB post:

[quote] I think Outsports took it personally that they couldn't do a big 'ol story on you in their usual drawn out fashion. Don't worry, they still wrote a story about it so they made their money by posting it and having readers read it. I say, you do you. Leap over those one-trick media ponies and live your life.

Yeah he doesn't need to do some big interview if he doesn't want to. He is out, he is gay.

[quote] Had him, huge foreskin and lots of cheese. I was in heaven!

LOL doubtful on the first 3 counts.

I love that he dismissed OutSports, the Hedda Hoppers of the jock world.

Hope the other famous Canadian Shawn is keeping note and taking tips...

I'm glad Shawn didn't want to talk to Outsports about it. Dude can come out however he chooses to, and if he doesn't want the pomp and circumstance of an article that's respectable and refreshing. Good for him.

I do wonder if we'll ever hear from him again. He's not that active on social media in general.

I'm listening to the Out Sports podcast now and these guys are pissing me off. "It would have been great if Shawn had come to Out Sports and done his story with us." That's all they care about, their big story. Fuck them. This is why straights hate gays, they think we all just want attention, which isn't true at all. I find it really refreshing, quite amazing actually, that Shawn posted a short comment on FB and that was that. No big hoopla. I wish everyone would come out in such a low-key way, no interviews, no big story, just say you're gay, then focus on what really matters, and to Shawn that's his sport.

He withdrew from the Drake Relays this weekend. I really hope it's not because he came out. I'm scared he might retire early after coming out. Maybe that's why he won't give an interview. Many athletes retire after coming out. It would ve such a shame if Shawn did that because he is actually really good. He could win medals and be a role model to so many people out there.

IDK somethings off with mr. hot ginger. I understand some guys are delusional and believe they are straight but to go from trolling for sex with women online to then suddenly declaring you're gay seems off to me. I don't think his silence is about some new way to come out, he might be very confused and in a strange place.

You're right, R130. I'm starting to think this too, that he won't say anything because he is confused and in a mentally fragile state. I mean he trolled for (straight) sex in Rio then 6 months later he comes out? Seems kinda sudden and out of the blue. Also, he posted it in the middle ofthe night, another bad sign. I wonder if it was a spontaneous thing, maybe he did it while drunk.

There might also be a small chance he did it without consent from his agent and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Maybe they have told him to stay quiet until they figure out what he should say when asked, and that is why he couldn't compete this weekend.

I'm leaning more towards the first option though. I think he's in a bad mental state and that is why he is keeping quiet. It's not a good sign. I don't think it's a new way of coming out either. I think he's struggling right now. Maybe he needs a therapist.

One last reason might be that he thought it was a good idea at the time to come out, but maybe he got overwhelmed and regretted it later? Either way I just wish he would talk so we could get an answer. Withdrawing feom an event is a bad sign. I hope he's ok. I don't want to keeo thinking the worst, but I'm seriously wondering if he's bipolar or something. His erratic behavior is not normal. Just going quiet like he has is not normal. I fear he regrets it and that he will retire the way Robbie Rodgers did right after coming out.. or that he is not well mentally and that he is a risk to himself. I hope he has people looking after him right now.

r130/r131, are you guys thinking this guy is bi and just confused?

Yes

YESSS!!!!

Idk R132, he only had sex with one woman that I know of so he might have just struggled with his sexuality then after it happened he realized he was gay.

Can you imagine having sex with him? You'd be all like, "Pew somebody get me the Glade."

I see someone speculate that he was hacked or that it was a prank, but I don't think it was. I think he's been out for a while. There's this pic, and then his brother didn't seem very shocked either. (he commented twice on his FB post).

I wonder why he still won't speak though. I think he has something going on mentally and maybe that's why he withdrew from the event this weekend. It could also be that he's not ready to answer questions yet. Or yes.. maybe he is confused and actually bi, not gay.

Does he compete in the Diamond League? If he does then his next event will be in two weeks in Shanghai. I guess we'll see if he shows up. Him skipping the Drake Relays is one thing, it's a smaller event (though wich a lot of prestige and he retweeted that he would be there, so it's still weird that he wasn't). Him skipping the Diamond League on the other hand is a much bigger deal. For now I'm choosing to remain calm. If he however is a no-show in Shanghai in two weeks then yeah, we can start to worry.

R137 it wasn't a prack. His agent confirmed to National Post hat he wrote the facebook post . See below

R139 yes, he's in Shangai provisional entry list.

I know, R140. I was just about to say that. His agent confirmed that he wrote the FB post. Then again.. with pics like the one at R137, that confirmation wasn't even necessary lol. His brother also commented on his FB post twice, so it's obvious it was legit.

Thanks for confirming he's in the Shangai provisional entry list. It will be nice to watch an openly gay athlete compete in the Diamond League, which is a pretty big deal. His results haven't been great this year (only 5.50 as his SB), so I don't have high expectations. I hope he surprises me though, who knows maybe coming out was liberating and maybe it was what he needed to do to perform better. I just hope he doesn't end up withdrawing from the event.

OMG...

[quote]If you know Shawn barber personally you know this is the most shocking news ever... no one who knows him believes it. If anything he's bisexual

Then again there's this..

[quote]I thought he looked familiar and I was right!! Totally talked to him on Grindr once.

[quote]OMG he legit looks like someone I'm talking to on Grindr

[quote]I see someone speculate that he was hacked or that it was a prank, but I don't think it was. I think he's been out for a while. There's this pic, and then his brother didn't seem very shocked either. (he commented twice on his FB post).

r137, if that is true then this guy is definitely bi because he was seeking hook ups with women just a little while ago.

When I say "a while" I mean he was out before he came out to everyone in that FB post. I have no idea for how long. The hook up happened in Rio, so in August last year, that's 8 months ago. He might have come out right after it happened for all we know. Or maybe he's lying about what actually happened that night. For now though I'd like to trust his words, if he says he's gay, then I'm gonna call him gay. I'm sure he knows the difference between bisexual and gay.

R145 the Craiglist thing was right before Rio because the positive doping test was during the Canadian Championships in July

Let's hope he never tans. Muscular untanned redheads look fantastic naked.

And if, in this day and age, he says he's gay, he's gay. Bisexuality is more widely accepted, he'd identify with that if he were bi.

Almost a year ago then, R147. I have no idea what really went down, so I'm not gonna pretend that I know the truth, but some gays have sex with women before coming out. I can only imagine the pressure to appear straight in the sports community. Maybe he did have sex with her, maybe he didn't know he was gay, or maybe he had a threesome but left that part out. Who knows what went down that night. In the end I don't think it matters. He came out as gay, end of.

I hope he is happier. I wish him luck!

R147, exactly. if he was bisexual he would have identified as bisexual. Like you said, he's a millennial (lol). I'd also imagine there would be more acceptence for bi people in the sports world than gay people (for many reasons). If he says he's gay, then I'm gonna beieve him.

R149, me too. His results this year haven't been great, but maybe this is what he needed to move forward. Hopefully he feels more at peace with himself and can perform better. I'll definitely be following him in Diamond League in two weeks. I just hope he won't withdraw before then.

I'm sad. 😞

Why am I sad?

Answer: 1Cor. 6:9-10, 18-20

(BTW, I'm a friend of Shawn's family, and love him like my own son. There is only one way to freedom in this life, and it's wholeness in relationship with the one who created all of us.)

Does he escort? Any DL reviews of him?

Canadians don't make a habit of quoting scripture, but nice try, lady.

R153, probably not. He's been seen on grindr though.

This comment pisses me off. Do these women not realize that guys have sex with women before realizing they are gay? Maybe he forced himself to have sex with that woman? And when does having sex with one woman equal "tons of craiglist girls"? Da fuq? Even IF he did have sex with "tons of craiglit girls" before coming out, that doesn't mean he's not gay. Not everyone is a gold star gay.

[quote]Wasn't Shawn the guy who had sex with tons of craiglist girls? so you are bisexual NOT gay

Why was he on craigslist for women? He's a handsome tall studly man if he wanted women he wouldn't have to work that hard for them? The women on there are not exactly on the same level as him. Either the story was fake or this guy has a lot of issues.

He is so beautiful in R72. Like a classical statue indeed. I'm smitten

Not hot.

SUPER hot

What the fuck is R152 doing on DL?

I'm guessing that R152 did a google search for Shawn Barber and stumbled into the DL.

And then paid for posting privileges?

Lol, never mind him guys. He's posted in this thread before.

R157 He was trying to be discreet. He was not looking for a woman in bars or clubs because he knew there was a chance they'd do drugs. That's why he was looking on Craigs list. The reason he was looking for someone to have sex with was that he wanted to "release stress." He got a few replies but he didn't reply back because he deemed them "untrustworthy/not safe enough." He accepted the woman he ended up having sex with because she was a mother of two so he figured he'd be safe with her (aka that she wouldn't take any drugs). I have linked to his case. Read it if you want (it's long though).

Messed up? You bet. But considering his family situation maybe it's not that weird if he is a bit messed up. I feel kinda bad for him if he forced himself to have sex with a woman (they even hinted he was looking for a "professional"). Maybe he was just confused or in denial, who knows. Many guys sleep with women before they come out (I guess he could be bisexual but if he says he's gay, I believe him). Yeah, it was messed up, yeah, he shouldn't have done it, but it's in the past now. I just wish people would move on. Heck.. we may never know what really went down that night, considering there was a man there too, maybe he had a threesome? I guess it doesn't matter. He's out now, so I hope he's more at peace with himself and hopefully he won't make stupid mistakes like this again. Hooking up on grindr (if the rumors are to be believed) should be enough ;)

Really, R159? I realize he's not everyone's type, not everyone is into gingers. Heck, I'm usually not into gingers either but I still think Shawn is super cute. Watch this video for an example.

When someone on DL deems a guy ugly there is no changing their mind. It's best to just ignore them.

But he's super cute in that video.

Bingo R167-- lots of DLers have non-traditional taste in guys and are kind of vocal about it.

I'd do this kid in a heartbeat.

And lots of guys go through the wanting-to-be-straight and dating girls thing. I think a lot of DLers are of the type where it was never a question so they find guys like Barber suspicious.

That kid is a young, handsome, world class athlete.

He does not give a shit about any DLers opinion.

You do not exist to him.

"The Gay Pole Vaulter" wood make a wonderful book title. Or maybe "The Case of the Gay Pole Vaulter."

He's cute and talented. and he's brave to come out. So what if he tried to make it with a woman. When I was in the closet, I dated women too. Homophobia is still present in society. Young men and women still struggle with their sexuality. People still do not accept us because of religious beliefs or ingrained ideas about what is "normal."

Give this kid credit. And welcome him with open arms. He'll be a tremendous role model for others struggling with their sexuality.

So this kid is looking to hook up with men and women but that's not bisexuality?

I'm sorry, do most people now consider 'gay' to mean an attraction to both men and women? I was browsing youtube and I saw the video below, I hadn't seen a video from this guy in ages so I decided to give it a click. After watching it I thought of this thread.

Is this the new era of 'identity politics' in full bloom? Where a man who 'identifies' as a woman is now considered to actually be a woman? In the video Buck talks about enjoying sex with women and being a 3/4 on the kinsey scale, but he's definitely still gay. Why? Because he 'identifies' as being gay. It doesn't matter that it literally negates the meaning of the word, it's true because he says it's true. So what's the point of language now then? If every word is interpreted to mean whatever each individual 'thinks' it means then they become meaningless.

If he identifies as gay, he's gay.

r173, so if I tell you that I am sexually attracted to both men and women, and that I identify as gay, then I am gay, is that correct?

"So this kid is looking to hook up with men and women but that's not bisexuality?"

Well, if he only hooked up with women to try to prove something to himself or to others.....I'd say that's not the same thing as genuine bisexuality.

"In the video Buck talks about enjoying sex with women and being a 3/4 on the kinsey scale, but he's definitely still gay. Why? Because he 'identifies' as being gay."

Oh, please, that guy is a total flamer. The last time he "enjoyed sex with a woman" Bill Clinton was probably in the White House.

Few (if any) male bisexuals are equally attracted to both men and women. Guys who are way more attracted to men than women tend to identify as gay.....and guys who are way more attracted to women then men usually see themselves as straight and do not identify with the LGBT community at all.

Redhead, athlete, Texan, and openly gay. He's my type in SO many ways.

Not surprised that the bisexual purist trolls are out in force on this thread. My rule of thumb is that any sex with women before coming out doesn't count but gay men having sex, dating or anything similar with women after coming out is not kosher in my book. I hated the scene in Girls when Elijah had sex with that girl, especially because Rannels is a gold star gay IRL.

Hell, everyone on DL knows how much I detest faux male bisexuality but before I came out in law school, I tried sex with 2 high school girlfriends and 2 other random girls in college but I had to force myself and couldn't really keep an erection with girls after the first time. So, I'm certainly no gold star gay.

TDLR - Leave this gay ginger alone and quit trying to yank his newly minted gay card...

TLDR for fucks sake...Why oh why can't DL get an edit feature????

[quote]And lots of guys go through the wanting-to-be-straight and dating girls thing. I think a lot of DLers are of the type where it was never a question so they find guys like Barber suspicious.

So true. I'd imagine there's even more pressure to appear straight as an Olympian athlete.

R171, it's so funny that people deem him bisexual. He can't possibly be gay because he slept with one woman as we know of. Even if he slept with many woman while closeted/in denial/confused he could still be gay. It's not that uncommon. I guess straights will never get it though, it's fine.

R172 Sexuality is complicated. We have no idea what went through his head when he slept with that woman. But again, many gay men sleep with women because of societal pressure to appear straight before coming out. With your definition only those who are gold star gay are "really" gay. I don't think that's right. If he now chooses to only sleep with men for the reason of his life, he's still bisexual in your eyes just because he slept with a few women while still closeted/in denial. We have no idea if he even enjoyed sleeping with those women, or if he did it just so he could do it. My guess is that he did it because it's what was expected of him. I'd imagine there's even more pressure for athletes to appear straight. Didn't Gus Kenworthy also say he slept with women before coming out as gay? I'm sure Shawn himself knows the difference between gay and bisexual. If he knows that he's into guys (despite how many women he slept with to get to that point), that's enough for me. One last thing, I'd imagine being bi is more accepted in a macho sports environment than being gay. Because "at least they are into women too!" That's why I think he would have identified as bisexual if that's what he was.

[quote]Well, if he only hooked up with women to try to prove something to himself or to others.....I'd say that's not the same thing as genuine bisexuality.

Exactly. There's so much pressure to appear straight from society. If he hooked up with women while questioning himself, that's not the same as being bisexual.

[quote]My rule of thumb is that any sex with women before coming out doesn't count but gay men having sex, dating or anything similar with women after coming out is not kosher in my book.

I agree with this. If he continues to hook up with women after coming out, then yeah, I'd say he's bisexual.

Are straight people proud to be straight? Well, I guess if you're a knuckle-dragging Trumpster. This guy is cute. I crush on gingers. My partner is one. I don't know what it is about them, but he does get a lot of attention - always has. And its from gay guys and women. I think part of it is the whole idea that they're hot-tempered and naughty. In his prime, he was both.

Hmm if he wanted to prove his straightness he would have done it publicly by dating or hooking up with someone from a club or bar. The discreet craigslist hookup makes it seem like he wanted it.

Proving something to himself and proving it to the public are two different things.

R184 As has been said, he did that because he didn't want anyone who could be involved in drugs. Maybe he really did want the woman at that point, maybe he was still questioning himself and confused. Sometimes it's more about proving to yourself that you're straight instead of proving it to others. I think we've all been there, trying so hard to convince ourselves that we like women, that we find women attractive, that just because we have slept with a few women that proves we are straight. But then we get sick of the charade and just come out, not giving a flying f what people think.

Please. He's as bisexual as Tom Daley. He'll be married to some 50 something washed up actor in a year.

Speking of Tom Daley, anyone else think Tom and Shawn would make a cute couple? They're the same ago too.

Shawn has US citizenship, so Tom would probably be interested. However, he needs to ramp the fame up a few notches before Tom will even begin to take notice.

r186 Explain how people on craiglist don't do drugs?

R190 What I wrote was a recount of what he said during the hearing. You can read it yourself if you want.

[quote]He is so hot. The gays really lucked out with him. Can't wait to continue to support him. I hope he has a lot of success. Btw, I wish he would give an interview, statement.. anything after coming out. I realize it can be overwhelming

Oh, my GOD. Fuck. Off. Yeah...we're so lucky that a 20-year-old Canadian pole vaulter decided to come out. He's the gay MLK.

So embarrassing.

R192, what the fuck is your problem? This is a big deal. He's a world champion and Olympic athlete. Of course I wish someone in a team sport would come out, but we have to start somewhere.

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

I can't imagine Tom with Shawn at all. He and the Latvian belong together!

I'm sure they fucked, R194. They looked way too chummy not to.

I really hope they did as well. Neither of them medaled in their events, so I'm thinking they condoled each other later that night. The Olympics is known to be a sexual event.

There were a record breaking number of condoms at the Olympic village.

R196 Do you think it's possible they're a couple, or is that far fetched? They'd make such a cute couple. It's obvious the Latvian is gay too imo. He's probably not out though. I guess it's unlikely he'll ever come out as Latvia is still a homophobic country.

I don't think they're a couple, but that'd be awesome. That moment they shared waiting for their event to start was one of the most touching moments during the Olympics. I'm pretty sure the Latvian's gay, but if I remember correctly he spends most of his time in America... or at least he did while training.

...

Okay, did a bit more research. They knew each other before the Olympics, which makes sense considering these athletes all know each other from different competitions leading up to the games. Pauls Pujats came in second to Shawn at the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and I was right, Pujats went to University of Memphis from 2012-2015. Judging from his IG, he's still living here.

[quote]Oh, my GOD. Fuck. Off. Yeah...we're so lucky that a 20-year-old Canadian pole vaulter decided to come out. He's the gay MLK.

He's not even the gay Jackie Robinson.

It is kind of odd that the ginger is really an american from TX who now lives in Canada while the Latvian live in the US...If they got married, the hot Latvian could get either US or Canadian citizenship and not have to go back to a repressive, homophobic country. Or is the Latvian a dual citizen already - maybe one of his parents is American. I wonder how many foreign athletes live in the US but compete for other countries?

DL needs to stalk him and get the deets...

R201 Shawn's dad is Canadian so it's not [italic]that[/italic] weird that he's competing for Canada.

Wow...the Latvian is HOT!

And he has a Youtube channel - not much content but looks like he just started it!

He looks like a youthful Van Johnson.

Latvian guy is hot, probably straight.

I wish Shawn was more active on social media, he hasn't tweeted anything in almost two weeks and he hasn't posted on Instagram since January. In a way I admire him for not being a famewhore, because being a famewhore is so last year. It seems like a lot of gays are Instagram whores these days. I'm kinda sick of it. It might also have to do with the scandal last year, maybe he just got sick of hate comments idk.

Straight, R206? He kinda pings to me. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he he hooked up with Shawn. Yeah, they knew each other since before the Olympics, but they still look very close in those pics.

The Latvian is adorable but I am not getting much of a gay vibe from him...I didn't even know there was a word for seafood eating vegetarians until I ran across this video - pescatarians seem much more reasonable than hardcore vegetarians or vegans...

r202 But I don't think Shawn ever lived in Canada until he wanted to join their Olympic team - he apparently grew up in Texas. Anyone know the full story on his exodus from TX to the promise land of Canada??? Are his parents divorced and he grew up with his Mom in TX?

The Latvian has another youtube channel with more vloggy type content. I just skimmed his video titles and nothing particularly gay popped out. His accent is still fairly thick so he must have only recently come to the US for college so even if he is gay, he will probably never come out, especially if he ever intends to go back to Riga or wherever town he is from...

Hubba hubba - he is a wannabe model/actor! Casting couch anyone?

Etseq, someone said he didn't make the American team when he turned 18 so he decided to try out for the Canadian instead. I imagine there's less competition to get into the Canadian team. It's funny that the Canadian press keeps saying he's from Toronto. When did he live in Toronto and for how long? Because apparently he lives in Akron now according to his Facebook.

[quote] so if I tell you that I am sexually attracted to both men and women, and that I identify as gay, then I am gay, is that correct?

There's a difference between being attracted to women and sticking your dick into something. I think that's what [italic]you[/italic] don't understand. I'm guessing he played around with the idea; he tried it out a few times; it didn't work for him regardless of however anything felt in a tactile sense, and now he's coming out as gay.

Etseq, Wikipedia is useful:

Barber holds dual Canadian-American citizenship, having been born in New Mexico and his father George Barber grew up in El Paso, Texas, but was himself born in Kincardine, Ontario. At age 10 his mother Ann Barber divorced his father and he moved to New Caney, Texas.[18] He split his time growing up between the Toronto area and the United States and graduated from Kingwood Park High School in Houston.[6] Barber refers to Toronto as his hometown during competitions and says he chose to represent Canada since his particular sport was more important in Canada as well as to follow in his father's footsteps who was a pole vaulter for Canada at the 1983 World Championships and a competitor twice at Team Canada Summer Olympic trials.

If the only "real" gays are gold star gays, then you are basically revoking most of our gay cards. This completely ignores social pressure that only runs one way - absent force or coercion, no one has gay sex or dates men because of social pressure but most of us did have sex/date women for that reason. You rarely see men who have been out as gay for years or decades suddenly break up with their partners to confess to really being straight and start dating/fucking women but the opposite happens every day. In fact, thanks to cults like the mormons and other christian fundies, there are probably as many gay men secretly married to women as their are out gay men!

r215 Thanks you - I was too busy online stalking the Latvian...

Here is another take on the Craigslist story - what is he was trying to sleep with hot men by suggesting 3 ways with married straight couples? I know legit out gay guys who do this because of their sick obsession with having sex with "straight men" and craigslist seems to be the most popular site to engage in this stuff...Maybe our little pole vaulter has a kinky side - he apparently is no stranger to grindr from what people have posted on other sites.

I'm surprised he hasn't tested positive for crystal meth or extasy if he has been hooking up with guys on grindr... Toronto apparently has a very intense PNP scene...

4215 Now I'm not sure how accurate his wiki page is because according to his own FB page, he is from Kingsland TX and now lives in Akron OH...

Yeah, I know. That's what I said in my post above. Wiki is not always correct. I think maybe he moved to Akron, I'm not sure though. I know he goes to college in Akron (or went?) so that might explain why it says he lives in Akron.

r221 From some of his FB pics, I'd say he is either a current or former student at U of Akron - he is 22 so I assume he maybe started a graduate program? Not sure what sort of programs Akron would have that would draw him from Toronto...Maybe he got an athletic scholarship? Does Akron have a pole vaulting team? I know nothing about sports...

[quote]If the only "real" gays are gold star gays, then you are basically revoking most of our gay cards.

r216, I tried to make it clear that I am referring to attraction, not behaviour. All I'm saying is that if a man is sexually attracted to men and women then he is, by definition, bisexual.

Of course there are immense pressures on gay men to conform to heterosexual norms. I agree that many gay men succumb to this pressure, and that would not make them bisexual.

However, someone upthread said this kid was already out. All I said was that if he is pursuing women after coming out then it is most likely because he is actually sexually attracted to women as well, and thus bisexual.

R223 I was the one who said that. I assumed he was out to friends and family before coming out publicly. I have no idea how long, it might have been one month, 6 months, two years, who the hell knows. He hooked up with that woman 8 months ago. That might have been while he was still confused. I never said he pursued women after coming out. I don't know. I'm just assuming he was already out because of that rainbow pic.

It's not uncommon for athletes to compete for countries they weren't born in. You can represent different nations depending on where your parents were born. I didn't know this until the most recent Olympics. You'll hear commentators saying that because this British gymnast's mother is Jamaican, he competes for Jamaica, or because this German cyclist's father is British, he competes for Britain. It's very common.

Why the Latvian eats a salad a day:

You can represent nations depending on which passports you have. People whose parents comes from different countries are more likely to have dual citizenships also. Therefore they can choose which country to represent. Some people represent countries they barely have ties with. In long distance races those runners competing for Bahrain are actualy from Kenya and they are literally bought to switch country.

r224, ok, fair enough.

R216 You think Tom Daley is a gold star gay ?

etseq didn't even mention Tom Daley R228

I know but he was the only other athlete his age I could think of .

I wonder how much homosexuality he has

[quote]However, someone upthread said this kid was already out. All I said was that if he is pursuing women after coming out then it is most likely because he is actually sexually attracted to women as well, and thus bisexual.

Only if the chicks were flat-chested.

He had sex with a woman. By definition he is bisexual. End of. Period.

Yeah... no R233

[quote] He had sex with a woman. By definition he is bisexual. End of. Period.

Puh-lease! I went to a bar mitzvah once. That doesn't make me Jewish.

If Tom isn't a gold star gay then I would be very surprised...

I asked Cyd Zeigler (the guy who wrote the Out Sports article) if he knew why Shawn withdrew from the Drake Relays. He said he didn't know.

I'm telling you guys, I just have a bad feeling. It's very clear that he's not ready to talk about coming out. That's probably why he withdrew. He knew he would get questions he was not ready to answer.

I'm sure this is all overwhelming for him. Perhaps he's regrets it a bit as it's hard to be open and vulnerable about something like this, especially if you're a world class athlete. As long as he's communicating with the people who actually know and love him, then I'm sure he'll be fine. Outsports and us message board randos aren't that important to his journey.

...he* regrets...

Yeah R328, that's what I've been thinking. Maybe his coming out was a spontaneous decision, I mean he did write it at 3 am. If he regrets coming out I honestly wouldn't be surprised. I think he's a bit overwhelmed. It's not easy being one of very few openly gay athletes, you're right though, as long as he has people looking out for him he should be ok. He can't hide forever though. Withdrawing from the Drake Relays is one thing, he can't continue to withdraw from events because he came out, especially not Diamond League. It would affect his career, which is something I'm sure he doesn't want. I just hope he gets comfortable enough eventually to be an openly gay athlete. If he needs time, that's fine, but sooner or later he has to face what he did. If he doesn't want to give interviews that's fine too, but he will get questions, which is something he just has to accept (he doesn't have to answer them though). I also wonder if this has something to do with the cocaine scandal. Maybe he's afraid he doesn't know how to explain it in the light of coming out.

Sorry, I meant 238.

How does he make money? Do companies like Nike or Under Amoire sponsor him?

Yes, R242. Nike sponsor him.

I FF any posts with mentions of "Cyd Ziegler".

R244, sorry. I just wanted to ask him since he basically broke the story. Anyways, it doesn't matter. He said he didn't know but that it was a good question (lol). I guess he wanted to know too.

R225 The Latvian comes across as more gay than Shawn. He has a bit of Jazz hands in that vid.

That's basically what I said, R246. The Latvian has gay face.

Agreed about the Latvian. He's very pretty as well... also, what straight guy takes pictures like R99?

[quote]He had sex with a woman. By definition he is bisexual. End of. Period.

According to polling, the majority of guys on the DL have had sex with a woman. Guess we are actually all bisexuals.

If he identifies as gay I accept him as gay. As others have said, there is more societal pressure to say you are bisexual. He made the choice to identify himself as gay.

[quote]According to polling, the majority of guys on the DL have had sex with a woman. Guess we are actually all bisexuals.

True.

Some gay people try out str8 sex to see if they like it or not, just like some str8 people do the reverse.

Well then those str8 people are bi too. It's the one drop rule.

What if they try it and don't like it?

Then they're self-hating bisexuals!

Wonder if the coming out wasn't entirely voluntary.....i.e. maybe someone was threatening to out him

r252 The one drop rule only works one way - haven't you read anything in this thread?

I've been wondering that too, R255. It's telling that he went into hiding after coming out. He even withdrew from an event. Also, if the stories about seeing him on grindr are true, then someone threatening to out him wouldn't be that far fetched.

Guys, maybe he's been kidnapped!!!

Lol, R258. Something weird is going on. I don't think he was kidnapped, but I wouldn't be shocked if someone did threaten to out him. Maybe he regrets coming out. It's possible he wrote it while he was drunk, I mean he posted it at 3 am which is odd. Either way he is clearly not ready to talk about it yet. I think we just need to give him some time.

It looks like he's gonna compete in Diamond League Shanghai this Saturday. I checked the tv schedule, it'll start at 1 pm my time, which means 7 am Eastern time. I'm excited to see an openly gay athlete competing on the world stage. His results haven't ben that good latelty, so it should be interesting to see how well he'll do. I wonder if he will give an interview and if so will he address coming out?

I guess he's still on radio silence, very weird to say "YAY IM GAY AND PROUD" and then nothing for a month.

He obviously doesn't care about the attention from random online people.

It's not he was posting much even before. Only 1 other post on facebook in 2017. No IG post since January. And only 3-4 tweets in 4 months.

What R262 said. Maybe he's not an attention whore. Maybe he just wanted to come out and not make a big deal out of it. I find that refreshing actually. The focus should be on his results anyway. It could also be that he's not completely comfortable being out to the public, just give him some time. Maybe he'll talk about it eventually.

R263, I wonder if it's because he's a bit insecure because his performance has been bad for a while now. He has 5.50 as his SB this year. I think his PB is 6.00. If he needs a break from social media to re-focus and get his groove back, that's fine. Maybe if he performs better he will be back. He was quite active last year when he got good results.

He just pole vaulted 5.25 The one frenchman missed all on 5.30. That means he's already out.

I'm sorry. I edited it too fast. The correct is Shawn Barber managed 5.40 at his first attempt. The frenchman missed his three attempts on 5.25.

Is this the same frenchman who came in second at the Olympics and was crying?

Idk, R268. His name is Kevin Menaldo.

You can see the live results here (sorry, the link was too long for the link window, so I have to paste it here insted):

shanghai.diamondleague.com/en/programme-results/programme-results-shanghai/#baseFrame#outputs/results/iaaf/atResults/js/mappings/discipline/disciplineRoot#DisciplineInit#Shanghai2017_TIMING_ATM072101_json##main-frame_content#outputs/results/iaaf/atResults/js/mappings/discipline/highJump#HighJumpSubFrame#Shanghai2017_TIMING_ATM072101_json

Shawn just missed his first attempt at 5.50.

R268. No, it's another one. The strongest one (the silver Olympic medalist in Rio and gold in London) is still in the race

I am not looking at TV...but is the weather awful? I see crap results all over high jump too. 2 NMs and 3 out at 2.20

R273, they just said it's sunny and 23C, barely any wind either.

R274. So it looks good. There must be because it's earlier in the season and many are not in top form yet.

He did 5.50 at the last attempt

HOLY SHIT he JUST made 5.50 on his THIRD attempt! Even the Olympic gold medalist is struggling, he's currently on his third attempt too.

Go Shawn!

Sorry, R275, didn't see your post until I had already posted. Yes, I think they're struggling because it's early in the season so they aren't in their top form yet. Shawn has only done 5.50 this year, so if he manages 5.60 it will be his SB.

WTF the screen just turned black. Technical difficulties? Am I the only one watching live on TV? I mean.. it's combined live from all events. So far I haven't seen anything from pole vault, they're showing anything BUT that event apparantly, sigh.

HE DID IT! 5.60 YAAAAS!

It's his SB too. Go Shawn!

I get that the track events are more popular than the field events, but so far they haven't shown one pole vaulter. WTF?! They have shown high jump though.

The Brazilian gold medalist is struggling, he's on his third attempt now. HOLY SHIT, the Chinese, German and Greek pole vaulters all missed 5.60.

Update: Thiago Braz made it on his third attempt.

He was just in the frame! The camera followed the 3000m steeplechase women. He missed first attempt on 5.70 though. Only four pole vaulters left in the competition. They all missed 5.70 on first attempt.

He missed his second attempt on 5.70. Not looking good now.

He missed his third attempt. Had a feeling he would.

at least the Brazilian didn't get it at third attempt again.

Third place ain't bad, it's his SB. I still wish he would have made 5.70 though, but oh well. It's early in the season. Hopefully he'll do better next time.

They just showed the Brazilian hottie. He looked so diappointed, aww. I feel so bad for him.

The American actually made 5.70, he's trying 5.78 now.

Give Shawn and his generation credit. He's competing as an out athlete. Look at this story on Outsports - Brian Vahaly finally out explaining why he couldn't be out as he couldn't mourn not having a wife and kids. Now he's married to a man with two sons and the FIRST out (former) tennis player (formerly) in the Top 100. Now that's sad.

And here is Vahaly on tour in 2003 talking about his dream girl being a person of "faith" and Andy Roddick calling him "the kind of guy you'd want your sister to date" and "one of the sweetest people I've met".

I do give him credit, R292. I'm here watching the event rooting for him. I'm happy for him as he made third place and got a new SB. But I admit that I'm greedy af, it would be nice to see him make 5.70. Maybe he will next time though :)

I wasn't criticizing you personally, R294, it's the tone on the thread questioning the way he came out to whether he's gay or his past etc. Digging him for not meeting certain goals is a small part of that.

Just to close off the tennis point without hijacking the thread, look at Jan Michael Gambill, "out in plain sight" but still can't say it.

Shawn was just in the frame again, talking to the American winner Sam Kendricks. Sam made 5.83 btw, much better than Shawn's 5.60. I guess they know each other as they're both mostly competing in USA.

I was hoping Shawn would do an interview, but they probably just interview the winners. I want to hear him talk about his coming out.

This is from CBC.

He's from the same Ontario town Susan Clark was born in.

Here is a new interview with Shawn. I can't watch because it's geo blocked.

Akron is a powerhouse in pole vaulting apparently. So now they can add pole smoking to the list.

It is not uncommon for gingers to have a special weakness for cocaine.

r302 WTF?

Yay! Good for Shawn! He did well to place behind Kendricks and Lavillenie, both Bronze and Silver medalists in Rio, respectively. Very happy for him. Wish I could watch that interview at R300!

There is nothing about his coming out, R304. It would be kinda weird if they asked him about it though. It should be about his results in Diamond League, nothing else. But it's still cool that he gave his first interview after coming out. He said there is still work to do, but he isn't disappointed with himself. He said the goal is to do well in the world championships and be on the podium.

I sorta liked Greece.

I know everyone hates Spain but I honestly don't think this is that bad?

Why was this posted here? Sorry,

Still no news about his coming out? If the coming out turns out to be fake/a hoax, you gays would drop him like a hot potato, right?

What are you expecting R309? He's not super famous so this is about all we can expect

R309 His agent said he posted it. His brother commented on his post twice. What more do you want? It's clearly not a hoax. Also, I get a gay vibe from watching his interviews, it's subtle but it's definitely there.

The far uglier Gareth Thomas had much much more press after his coming out, even irrelevant Robbie Rodgers. Isn't Shawn the first world champion to come out?

Yes, R312. That is why I find the under-reporting ridiculous. He is easily one of the most high profile and successful openly gay athletes in the world right now. But I guess the press don't care as long as they don't get their big story, which Shawn didn't want to give.

But if he doesn't talk about being gay at all, rooting for him because he is gay is kinda pointless, lol.

R314, can you blame him with what happened last year? Just give him time, I'm sure he will talk about it eventually. For now it should be enough that he's out and proud.

Why would it be pointless? Shawn came out... what more is there to say? He's not obligated to provide Outsports with an article or explain himself to us. He can live his life however he wants... that's the freedom that comes with coming out. I respect him a lot more for doing his own thing instead of superficially capitalizing on being gay like starting a YouTube channel or something.

Also, it doesn't surprise me that a pole vaulter isn't getting as much press as a rugby or football (soccer) player.

This thread just seems different from most threads on DL. Although Shawn is out, we know nothing about his life, there's nothing to gossip about. In that sense he is quite boring and ordinary like any arbitrary straight athlete.

I've never seen the DL queens so obsessed over a track and field athlete ever.

It's really amusing, yet sad how angry and flailing these arguments are.

R318 Wow, what an insightful post, sis. And you are here because ...?

R317 He isn't active on social media, so there isn't really much to gossip about.

R318 I don't see much "obsession" here at all. There is some bickering, but that's it.

R319 - And you're a vapid cunt because...? Oh, right. That's all you are, a vapid cunt.

R320; 320 posts about a pole vaulter. Let that sink in.

I was on my high school track team for three years. I've rarely seen the topic mentioned, except by voyeurs perving on Spandex bulges.

How many openly gay athletes are competing on the world stage? Maybe 3. It's not that weird that we're talking about him here.

R321 You need to look in the mirror, sweetie. If you this thread is too banal for you, those numerous threads about men presenting hole might be for you.

Maybe R321's sad that he spent three years in track, yet no one's talking about him?

You need to retract your dingy claws and save them for someone who gives a fuck, cuntertina R323.

Maybe R324 is a sad cunt because she will die alone, her face eaten by her cats?

Geez, I'll have to rescue some cats first.

"and you know them pussycats is quick!"

R327

R325 You have forgotten to take your pills, my dear. If you don't give a fuck but spend your time coming up with all these cute replies, your life must be very rich and fullfilling ;-)

What's funny is that they're bottled, bitchy, DL replies lacking any originality or specificity. Why this guy came out of the clear blue sky to pick a fight, I'll never know.

Anyway, did Shawn get a medal? Did the top three take a podium picture? I'd like to see it.

Old pic, but a good one.

Nobody came "out of the clear blue sky to pick a fight," you sad exaggerating hag. This isn't a private club, so STFU.

"DL replies lacking any originality or specificity." = You, to a T.

Now continue feigning interest and knowledge about track & field. It's funny to read, unlike your pathetic attempt at insults.

He is seriously attractive. Damn.

Does he have ginger pubes?

[quote]unlike your pathetic attempt at insults.

And your pathetic attempt is equaled by banal visual links.

Sad.

Girls, stop the fighting and get back on topic!

You're right. I'll stop. Anyway, any pics of Shawn's performance today?

R338 Yes, here is Shawn's seson's best vault. It's geo blocked though (Canada), but you can watch it if you have a vpn.

What if you've got a VPL?

R322 "How many openly gay athletes are competing on the world stage? Maybe 3. It's not that weird that we're talking about him here."

There is a British race walker who finished in top 10 in Rio (and got a marriage proposal on a Rio beach last year). And I am sure there are some German lesbians in shot put/discus/hammer.

R341, I'm talking about GAY as in MALE. We all know there is a ton of lesbians in sports. It's easier coming out as lesbian than a gay man. Please name at least 5 openly gay athletes who are still active and a big deal in their respective sport. I'll wait.

R341 1) I wasn't picking up a fight with you. I wasn't contradcting your point neither. I was merely adding up some info starting from your comment about the lack of openly gay athletes

2) I thought you were specifically referring to track and field where even counting those who goes out in the heats you can barely reach 3 and you've to consider the fat female throwers to get to 5.

3) but if you are referring to all sports of this world, considering only people who are in World/Olympic medal contention in their sport, I can get to 3 others than Barber. I am struggling to think to a 5th...but maybe there is someone in equestrian (there seems to be lots of openly gay men riding horses. Or in some sport that I don't follow.

[quote]but if you are referring to all sports of this world, considering only people who are in World/Olympic medal contention in their sport

Yes, that is indeed what I'm referring to. My point still stands though: there aren't many openly gay athletes who are as successful as Shawn Barber, which is why his coming out was a big deal and still is a big deal. It also answers all the naysayers in this thread who bitch about an openly gay track and field athlete while saying "who cares". He is a reigning world champion. His coming out was important.

I just saw his SB vault and he had a nice clearance. I'm kinda surprised he didn't clear 5.70 as I know he has it in him. On a completely shallow note he looked hot af too. BTW, I'm not Canadian so I had to use a VPN. His next event is in Eugene in two weeks, hopefully he'll be able to clear 5.70, but we'll see.

R93 = that face you make when you realize that both your sons are queens.

which vpn service do you use?

R347 Hotspot Shield for Chrome.

Here is a video of Shawn clearing 5.60, it's not geo blocked.

Thanks, R349!

He finally tweeted something.

He posted the same video on Instagram.

Nice to see some action. Glad he seems to be doing well.

Cute pic with Sam Kendricks. Sam posted this on his account. He also left a comment on Shawn's Instagram.

Awwww. Sam seems like such a sweetheart. I thought as much during the Olympics.

Apparently there was an event this past weekend that I didn't know about, in Kingston, Jamaica. It wasn't a Diamond League event. Looked like it was for invited athletes only. Shawn placed third. He is nowhere near Sam Kendricks though. Looks like Shawn will be fighting for a podium finish at the world championships. Sam is so much better than everyone else.

PS: Wonder what Shawn thinks about competing in such a homophobic country?

Sam Kendricks is definitely the man to beat this year. I honestly don't think Shawn is even close to his level right now. He should be happy to get on the podium come world championships.

I'm kinda over him tbh. He doesn't stand a chance against those he's competing against. It's such a strong field and they are so much better than him.

Thanks for posting about Jan Michael R295. I always had an eye out for him during his playing days. I didn't know he had "come out".

5.71m in Eugene (Diamond League), 5th place. Kendrinks wins again over Lavillenie (5.86 to 5.81). 5,81 also for Lisek from Poland and 5.71 for the young Swedish. The Brazilian got 3 faults at his entry height

This thread is a mess. So many Marys squealing in delight over such a non entity and then questioning his sexuality when it came from three fucking sources.

I love the delusional fucks that believe he really fucked a woman. He did that hookup solely for the guy and the woman was paid off. Such stupid and naive posters, probably hormonal fraus.

[quote]This thread is a mess.

Are you new here, R361?

No R362. Just shocked a thread like this one to turn so deranged. I've survived the Colton Haynes and Dool threads.

Told you. Only 5th today. He just isn't that good anymore. He needed several attempts just to get over the lower pole vault numbers. There is no chance in hell he will finish on the podium come world championships.

He updated his profile pic on FB. Can all the haters saying he was hacked please stfu now? He posted the coming out message himself. He was not hacked.

[quote]He just isn't that good anymore.

Let's face it, the gays just aren't good at sports. He was at the top of his game and once he turned gay he tumbled to 5th place? Conwinsidence? I think not!

R366, it has nothing to do with him being gay. He's been bad for a while now. He bombed in the Olympics last year, only placed 10th. BTW, I do think he has potential as he has shown that he is good (he's still the reigning world champion and he is one of few who have vaulted 6.00), I just think he's in a bit of a rut right now. Something is preventing him from reaching his top potential. Then again, it's still early in the season so he might still improve. He placed 3rd in Shanghai, so he has already made the podium once this season. With that said, it was more because the others bombed, not because he himself performed well. It's odd because he keeps getting a new SB, but the problem is his vaulting before he gets there. He needs several attempts on the lower heights, I don't get it. If he can sort that out though, he might do better.

How is this thread at 367 replies?

Maybe because a world champion athlete came out as gay, R368. It doesn't exactly happen every day.

R366 The gays don't catch.

[quote]Maybe because a world champion athlete came out as gay, [R368]. It doesn't exactly happen every day.

Un-huh. Except that it kinda does nowadays.

R371, no, it doesn't. I can count world champion male gay athletes on one hand (or two at the most). Like.. just take track and field as an example, how many openly gay men are competing in Diamond League? According to you gay world champion athletes come out every day, so we should have hundreds of them in Diamond League, yet there is only ONE openly gay man competing, Shawn Barber.

[quote]Barber instantly becomes one of the highest-profile and most successful current openly gay athletes anywhere in the world.

Third place (5m62) in Paris Golden League event behind Kendricks and Lavillenie (both still jumping).

What ever happened to this guy?

r375 Looks like he's doing his thing with the pole vaulting

Seems like he's not able to compete with the top tier guys (the American and the French) he keeps coming third. It's not bad per se, but he's way below the level he was just a year ago, oh well.

At least he's still out there competing.

Yeah, R378. I'm glad we have an out gay athlete competing on the world stage, even if he "only" finishes third.

Shawn Barber!

Pole-vaulter Shawn Barber returns to top 3 at Diamond League

5.63 today. But down to 7th place as the others improved.

Outsports is still pissed at Shawn for not letting them have the exclusive

And still not over it . Now pontificating in a podcast

He qualified for the final at London World Championships.

He jumped 5.3, 5.45 and 5.6 at first attempt. Then he jumped 5.7 at third attempt. Overall only 2 had a clean qualification (Lisek from Poland and Lavillenie from France).

Qualification mark was supposed to be 5.75 but only 8 jumped 5.7. Some of those who jumped 5.6 were advanced to the final to reach the 12 athletes requirement.

Defending champ Shawn Barber advances to pole vault final at worlds

Wait.. is he saying coming out as gay was a choice, or that being gay is a choice? I really hope it's not the latter.

He's saying that it was his choice to come out publicly.

Did this guy basically drop off the face of the Earth? Nothing posted since June or July on social media and his Facebook seems to have been deleted.

What a headline.

So...what happened to him ?

R391 he passed away from AIDS...

He seems to have dropped off social media but apparently he's still pole vaulting

Damn jealous of the bitch that gets to put it’s legs up on those freckled shoulders

Is he trying to backtrack from coming out? He posted the coming out post on Facebook, and now he decided to delete it? Sorry, it's just suspicious as hell.

R393 What a shame.

Holy shit he just won bronze! This is huge because he hasn't done well these past two years.

Damn is he a top?

Coke helps some people get hard? Not me.

He turned into Carrot Top . I prefer the fake Swede who won the European Championship a few weeks ago .

R400 But he's not gay.

Hot

He smells extra "funny" down there due to red hair and a stank sleeve.

R401: Gay men aren't eunuchs, Ahmed.