US sprinter Tori Bowie found dead; cause of death remains unknown

Tori Bowie, the US track and field athlete, who secured three medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and stunned the fans by winning the 100-meter dash in the 2017 world championships, has died, New York Times reported without giving any details of the cause of death. 

USA Track and Field confirmed the star sprinter's death but the cause of Tori Bowie's death remains undetailed.

According to the Orange County, Florida, sheriff’s office statement, officers went to a house in Winter Garden on Tuesday to check on a woman in her 30s who had not been seen or heard from in several days. 

"They entered the home and found the body of a woman, whom they tentatively identified as Frentorish “Tori” Bowie," the statement said and added, “there were no signs of foul play.”

Later, Tori Bowie's management company said the former 100 metres world champion has died at the age of 32.

"We're devastated to share the very sad news that Tori Bowie has passed away," Icon Management said in a statement on Twitter.

"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."

Bowie finished second in the 100m in Rio behind Jamaica's Elaine Thompson before winning the world championships in London a year later, finishing less than a hundredth of a second ahead of the Ivory Coast's Marie-Josee Ta Lou.

According to New York Times, Frentorish Bowie was born on Aug. 27, 1990. Her grandmother raised her in Sand Hill, Mississippi, a small town outside Jackson. 

She graduated in 2008 from Pisgah High School in Brandon, also in the Jackson area, where she played basketball, ran track and competed in the long jump.

Bowie went to the University of Southern Mississippi, where she became the national champion in the long jump in 2011. She graduated in 2012 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.

She placed fourth in the long jump at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019. She also worked as a model.

She is survived by a grieving sister Tamarra Bowie, who also was a track athlete.