Frentorish “Tori” Bowie, the renowned sprinter who won three Olympic medals, a champion in her community and on the field, at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, died on May 2 at the age of 32.
No cause of death was given, but the announcement, made on May 3, came from her management company and USA Track and Field, ABC News reported.
“USATF is deeply saddened by the passing of Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time world champion,” USA Track and Field CEO Max Siegel said in a statement. “A talented athlete, her impact on the sport is immeasurable, and she will be greatly missed.”
The sprinter was found dead in her home in Orlando, Fla., with authorities ruling out “signs of foul play.”
The May 2 call had the Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducting a welfare check on Bowie, saying it was “for a welfare check on a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from in several days.”
Bowie’s death was a loss to the community she served as well as the American sports industry she proudly represented as an Olympian.
Olympic winner was an American track and field athlete who competed in the long jump, 100 meters, and 200 meters. She was born on Aug. 27, 1990, in Sand Hill, Miss.
She won silver in the 100 meters and bronze in the 200 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics, bronze and gold in the 100 meters at the 2015 and 2017 World Championships, respectively, and also won gold medals as part of the U.S. women’s 4 × 100-meter relay at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships.
Bowie was a three-time All-American at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she won the 2011 NCAA indoor and outdoor long jump titles. She turned professional in 2012 and quickly rose to prominence on the international stage.
In 2015, she won the bronze medal in the 100 meters at the World Championships. The following year, she won a silver medal in the 100 meters and a bronze medal in the 200 meters at the Rio Olympics.
She also anchored the U.S. women’s 4 x 100-meter relay team to victories at both the Olympics and World Championships.
“She was a very enthusiastic, bubbly personality,” said track coach Craig Poole. “She was a lot of fun to work with.”
In 2015, she won the bronze medal in the 100 meters at the World Championships. The following year, she won the silver medal in the 100 meters and the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the Rio Olympics.
“She was a very enthusiastic, sparkling personality,” said track coach Craig Poole. “She was really fun to work with.”
According to the Associated Press, Bowie was brought up by her grandmother after being placed in foster care.
“My entire life my grandmother told me I could do whatever I set my mind to,” she said after winning the 100-meter bronze for sprinting at the World Championships in 2015, according to the Associated Press.
