Tori Bowie, a track star who won three medals, including gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, was found dead at her home in Florida, according to multiple media reports Wednesday.
Her family asked local police to do a welfare check on Bowie, and officials found her dead upon arrival, TMZ reported. No foul play is suspected, according to the Orange County Police.
Her management company, Icon Management Inc., announced the news on Twitter, “We’re devastated to share the very sad news that Tori Bowie has passed away. 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.”
Team USA also paid tribute to the late athlete, saying, “She was an admired friend, teammate, and a great representative of Team USA. We send our sincere condolences to all who know and loved her.”
Bowie was born in Sand Hill, Mississippi, and attended the University of Mississippi, where she competed on the track and field team and was a two-time NCAA champion in long-jump.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she won three medals: silver in the 100-meter dash, bronze in the 200-meter dash, and gold with her teammates for the 100-meter relay. She posed in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue in 2018 saying, “Making the Olympic team was the biggest thing I’ve ever accomplished. That was something I had to wait four years to accomplish.”
Bowie was also a professional fashion model and walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week in 2019 for Y-3, a collaboration label between her athletic sponsor Adidas and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. She also appeared in Valentino’s 2018 Resort campaign and worked with designer Stella McCartney.
