Tori Bowie, the sprinter who won three medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has passed away. She was 32 years old.
The death of Bowie was announced by her management company and USA Track and Field on Wednesday. There was no cause of mortality listed.
“USATF is deeply saddened by the passing of Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time world champion,” USA Track and Field Chief Executive Officer Max Siegel said in a statement. Her influence on the sport has been immeasurable, and she will be deeply missed.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida, deputies responded Tuesday afternoon to a residence in the area “for a well-being check of a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from for several days.”
The sheriff’s office reported that a woman, “tentatively identified as Frentorish “Tori” Bowie (DOB: 8/27/1990),” was discovered deceased inside the residence. There were no indications of wrongdoing.”
Bowie, who grew up in Sandhill, Mississippi, was persuaded to participate in track as a teenager and ascended rapidly through the ranks as a sprinter and long jumper. She attended Southern Mississippi, where she captured the 2011 NCAA indoor and outdoor long jump championships.
Bowie earned silver in the 100-meter dash and bronze in the 200-meter dash at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She then raced the anchor leg on the gold-winning 4×100 relay team alongside Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, and English Gardner.
In London in 2017, she won the 100-meter event at the world championships. In addition, she assisted the 4×100 team win gold.
Track coach Craig Poole, who worked with Bowie early in her career and later on, remarked,
“She was a very enthusiastic, vivacious individual.” She was a delight to collaborate with.
On social media, the track and field community lamented the passing of Bowie. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a Jamaican sprinting sensation, posted on Twitter,
“My heart aches for Tori Bowie’s family. A formidable rival and source of illumination. Your vitality and smile will remain with me forever. Rest in serenity.”
American hurdler Lolo Jones added,
“Too immature. Sad to learn about Tori Bowie’s passing. Incredible aptitude. A gorgeous runner. I pray for the well-being of her family, and I thank you for bestowing her upon us. The running community is in mourning over a tragic loss.”
Brittney Reese, a three-time Olympic medalist in the long jump, wrote:
“I am so devastated… You have made many of us pleased, thank you for representing our state of Mississippi so admirably… Rest in peace!”
As a neonate, Bowie was taken in by her grandmother after being abandoned at a foster home. She viewed herself as a basketball player and reluctantly participated in track, but Bowie was a quick learner and won state titles in the 100, 200, and long jump before attending college.
Her first significant international medal was a bronze for 100 meters at the 2015 World Championships. After winning, she stated,
“My grandmother always told me I could accomplish anything I set my mind to.”
Icon Management included a photograph of Bowie holding her hands in the shape of a heart in a tweet. The management firm wrote,
“We’ve lost a client, a loyal friend, a daughter, and a sister. Tori was a champion…an incredibly dazzling beacon of light. Our deepest condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends.”
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