Tori Bowie, the 100m silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2017 world champion, has died at the age of 32, her management company and World Athletics said on Wednesday.
“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,” Icon Management tweeted.
World Athletics confirmed the American’s death, posting on Facebook that it was “deeply saddened by the passing of Tori Bowie”.
Bowie converted from the long jump in 2014 and had an immediate impact, becoming the fastest woman in the world that year.
At the Rio Olympics two years later, she prevented a Jamaican clean sweep of the medals when she finished second to Elaine Thompson in a time of 10.83sec with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce third.
Bowie also won 200m bronze and anchored the US 4x100m relay quartet to gold at those Games.
Then in 2017, she won the world 100m title in London.
Bowie remains the lone American woman to win an Olympic or world 100m title since Carmelita Jeter in 2011.
Bowie then re-entered the long jump and came fourth at the 2019 world championships.
That was her last major competition.
Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican reigning world 100m champion, tweeted: “My heart breaks for the family of Tori Bowie. A great competitor and source of light. Your energy and smile will always be with me. Rest in peace.”