From a press release issued by the FIM:

March 11, 2003

Barry Sheene

British rider Barry Sheene, 500cc Grand Prix World Champion in 1976 and 1977, passed away from cancer yesterday in a hospital in Queensland, Australia, at the age of 52.

Barry Sheene scored his first World Championship points in the 125cc class in 1970, and finished second of this class in 1971 with 3 wins. In the 500cc class, after finishing 6th in 1974 and 1975, he clinched the title twice, in 1976 and in 1977, with respectively 5 and 6 Grand Prix victories. Then he finished second in 1978, third in 1979, fourth in 1981, fifth in 1982 and sixth in 1984, his last season at the top level.

Later he moved to Australia, where he worked as a Grand Prix TV commentator.

He was the first rider, together with German Sidecar rider Werner Schwärzel, to be riders’ representative within the FIM Road Racing Commission in 1978. Elected for two years, he took part in the FIM Geneva Meetings and the Congress in Poznan, Poland in October that year, as well as the Geneva Meetings and the Congress in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1979 when he advocated safer circuits.

Barry Sheene soon became a celebrity of motorcycling sport known not only by fans and supporters of the motorcycle sport but also by a much wider general public on whom he made an enormous impact thanks to his open personality and professional approach. He made a tremendous contribution towards making Motorcycle Grand Prix a more widely popular sport. He is still today a sport celebrity, even amongst the younger generation of motorcycle fans.

The premature passing away of Barry Sheene represents a great loss for the world of motorcycling sport.