Tori Bowie, a former Olympic sprinter and world champion in track and field, has died at the age of 32. The cause of her death has not been announced. Bowie’s agency, Icon Management Inc., confirmed the news of her passing on social media, saying that they had “lost a client, a dear friend, daughter and sister.”
Born and raised in Sand Hill, Mississippi, Bowie initially pursued basketball but was persuaded to try track and field. Her track career began while she was in high school, where she won multiple state titles in various events. She went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, where she became a three-time All-American in the long jump and swept the NCAA championships in both the indoor and outdoor events in 2011.
Bowie turned professional in 2013 and soon began to focus on sprinting events. Her career skyrocketed after she started to shift her focus from jumping to sprinting events in 2014, and she blossomed into one of Team USA’s fastest women. Bowie went on to win three medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, including silver in the 100-meter dash and bronze in the 200-meter dash. She also ran the anchor leg in the women’s 4×100 relay, in which Team USA won gold.
By the end of 2017, Bowie had become a world champion in both the women’s 100 meters and 4×100 relay, beating out the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou in the final by 0.01 seconds with a time of 10.85 seconds. She also placed fourth at the 2019 World Championships, in the long jump.
Bowie was remembered as a “rare athletic talent” by World Athletics and is being mourned by the track and field community. Fellow Olympian Lolo Jones described her as a “beautiful runner.” Bowie frequently credited her family for her success, citing the influence of her grandmother, who raised her in Sand Hill.
Bowie’s death is a tragic loss for the athletics world, and her contributions to sport will not be forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones during this difficult time.
