Champion sprinter Tori Bowie died of childbirth complications, per report
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Standout sprinter Tori Bowie was in labor when she died of childbirth complications, her agent confirmed Monday. A three-time Olympic medalist, including gold in 2016, Bowie was found dead last month at 32. The agent, Kimberly Holland, confirmed to CBS News the finding of a report from the Orange County (Fla.) Medical Examiner Office.
According to the report (via USA Today), Bowie was approximately eight months into a pregnancy and had a “well developed fetus.” The medical examiner’s office cited possible complications suffered by Bowie as respiratory distress and eclampsia. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, eclampsia is a severe condition related to high blood pressure in which a pregnant woman can develop seizures or go into a coma.
“Unfortunately, so many people, including the media, are making speculations that she did something to herself, which is very hurtful,” Holland, who could not be immediately reached Monday evening for comment, told CBS News earlier in the day. “So hopefully, now knowing the truth, there will be many apologies.”
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After Bowie had not been seen or heard from for several days, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office performed a well-being check May 2 at her home in Winter Garden, Fla. Bowie was found dead with what police described as “no signs of foul play.”
Saying it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Bowie’s death, USA Track & Field stated last month that her “impact on the sport is immeasurable, and she will be greatly missed.”
A native of Mississippi who was adopted and raised by her grandmother, Bowie was an NCAA long jump champion at Southern Mississippi. She won her three Olympic medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games: gold in the 4x100-meter relay, in which she ran the anchor leg, silver in the individual 100 meters and bronze in the 200. Bowie followed that in 2017 with golds in the 100 meters and the 4x100 relay at the world championships in London. Her final appearance at a major competition occurred in 2019, when she placed fourth in the long jump at the USATF outdoor championships.
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According to an obituary for Bowie shared by a Mississippi funeral home, she was most recently pursuing a degree in social work. The obituary noted that she was preceded in death by, among other family members, her daughter Ariana.
“We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister,” Bowie’s management agency, Icon, said on social media after her death. “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.”
News Monday of the circumstances of Bowie’s death prompted some observers to note the high rate of maternal mortality in the United States among Black women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are three times more likely than White women to suffer a pregnancy-related death.
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Source: The Washington Post
