The death of former Olympic sprinter Tori Bowie left unanswered questions when she was found dead at her Orange County, Florida, home last month but the autopsy report obtained by NBC News revealed Bowie died from complications related to giving birth.
The 32-year-old Olympic sprinter burst onto the scene at the 2016 Rio Games, where she won a silver medal in the 100 meters, a bronze in the 200 meters, and gold in the 4×100 as the anchor leg.
Cause of Death
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted a wellness check on May 3 and found Bowie dead. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office said that there was evidence of her “undergoing labor crowning” at the time of her death and she was discovered to be eight months pregnant, according to NBC News.
The autopsy stated that Bowie died from natural causes and authorities said there were “no signs of foul play.” The autopsy also found that respiratory distress and eclampsia contributed to her death. According to the Mayo Clinic, eclampsia is the onset of seizures or a coma related to preeclampsia, which is a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during a pregnancy.
“Eclampsia can happen without any previously observed signs or symptoms of preeclampsia,” the Mayo Clinic states on its website. “Signs and symptoms that may appear before seizures include severe headaches, vision problems, mental confusion or altered behaviors. But, there are often no symptoms or warning signs.”
According to CNN, the maternal death rate rose to 1,205, which was a significant increase from 861 total deaths in 2020. The rates among Black women were twice as high compared to white women.
Who Is Track Star Tori Bowie?
Bowie is a native of Sand Hill, Mississippi, and was reportedly always an athlete. She ran track and played basketball in high school. Track became her first love and she was able to earn a scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi.
While in college, she won the 2011 NCAA championship in the indoor and outdoor long jump competitions. She was also a three-time All-American in college.
After the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Bowie finished first in the 100-meter sprint at the 2017 World Championships in London. Her last race was in June 2022.
Bowie’s management company, Icon management, first broke the news of her death on their Twitter account.
Icon Management described Bowie as “very enthusiastic with a sparkling personality.” Members from the track community like her former coach Craig Poole and three-time Olympic long jump gold medalist Brittany Reese expressed their sympathy on social media for Bowie at the time of her death.
