The world of athletics is mourning the loss of Tori Bowie, the sprinter who won three Olympic medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She passed away at the age of 32, although no cause of death has been given. The announcement of her death was made on Wednesday by her management company and USA Track and Field. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida, also reported that deputies responded to a home on Tuesday for a well-being check of a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from in several days. Bowie was a talented athlete and her impact on the sport is immeasurable, said USA Track and Field CEO Max Siegel.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported that the body of a woman, preliminarily identified as Frentorish “Tori” Bowie (born on August 27, 1990), was found in a home in Orlando, Florida, and no evidence of foul play was discovered.
Bowie was raised in Sandhill, Mississippi, and started participating in track and field as a teenager, quickly becoming a standout in the sprint and long jump events. In 2011, she attended Southern Mississippi and swept the NCAA championships in the long jump at both indoor and outdoor events.
Bowie achieved great success at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning silver in the 100-meter dash and bronze in the 200-meter dash. She also helped lead a 4×100-meter relay team to a gold medal, running the anchor leg alongside Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, and English Gardner.
In 2017, Bowie won the 100 meters at the world championships in London and helped the 4×100 team to gold. Track coach Craig Poole, who worked with Bowie early in her career and again later, described her as “a very enthusiastic, sparkling personality” and “really fun to work with.” The track and field community expressed their condolences on social media, including Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and U.S. hurdler Lolo Jones. Brittney Reese, a three-time Olympic medalist in the long jump, wrote that she was “heartbroken” and thanked Bowie for representing Mississippi. Bowie was raised by her grandmother and considered herself a basketball player before reluctantly trying track, where she became a state champion in the 100, 200, and long jump before going to college.
Tori Bowie won her first major international medal, a 100-meter bronze, at the 2015 World Championships. She attributed her success to her grandmother, who had always encouraged her to believe in herself. Icon Management, Bowie’s management company, posted a heartfelt message on Twitter along with a photo of Bowie making a heart shape with her hands. The post read: “We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter, and sister. Tori was a champion… a beacon of light that shined so bright! We’re truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends.