Tori Bowie, a sprinter who won three Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, has died. She was 32 years old. The death of Tori Bowie was revealed on Wednesday by her management organization and USA Track & Field. There was no mention of a cause of death.
Bowie was persuaded into running as a child growing up in Sandhill, Mississippi, and swiftly ascended through the ranks as a sprinter and long jumper. She attended Southern Miss, where she won both the indoor and outdoor long jump NCAA championships in 2011.
Bowie delivered an electrifying performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning silver in the 100 meters and bronze in the 200 meters. She then ran the anchor leg on a 4×100 relay squad alongside Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, and English Gardner to take gold.
She won the 100 meters at the 2017 World Championships in London a year later.
Bowie was adopted as an infant by her grandmother after being abandoned at a foster home. She considered herself a basketball player and only unwillingly came up for track, but Bowie was a quick learner who went on to become a state champion in the 100, 200, and long jump before attending college. ()
Her first big international medal was a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the 2015 World Championships. After winning, she stated, “My grandmother told me my entire life I could do whatever I set my mind to.”
