American won world 100m title at London 2017 and three Olympic medals at Rio 2016 during brilliant sprints career

The athletics world was in shock on Wednesday (May 3) when the news broke that US sprinter Tori Bowie had died aged 32 at her home in Florida.

One of the finest sprinters of recent years, she won 4x100m gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, plus 100m silver and 200m bronze at those Games before going on to claim the world 100m and 4x100m titles in London the following year.

Her 100m and 200m best marks were 10.78 and 21.77 but she was also a world-class long jumper with a PB of 6.95m.

Bowie’s management agency, Icon Management, broke the news although a cause of death has not been released.

They said: “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.”

“My heart breaks for the family of Tori Bowie,” wrote fellow sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Twitter. “A great competitor and source of light. Your energy and smile will always be with me. Rest in peace.”

“USATF is deeply saddened by the passing of Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist and two-time world champion,” Max Siegel, chief executive of USA Track and Field, added. “A talented athlete, her impact on the sport is immeasurable, and she will be greatly missed.”

Bowie was raised by her grandmother in the small town of Sand Hill but her talent earned her a scholarship at the University of Southern Mississippi where she won NCAA titles indoors and out in the long jump. She focused on that event until 2014, when she began to prioritise sprinting.

Global medals followed with 100m bronze at the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 and multiple medals at the Rio 2016 and London 2017 events, including 100m gold in the British capital with 10.85 ahead of Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast and Dafne Schippers of Netherlands.

Approaching the finish in London, Ta Lou looked set for gold but Bowie finished brilliantly, timed her dip to perfection and fell heavily on the track as she lunged at the line to claim the win by one hundredth of a second.

Bowie then returned to long jump and placed fourth in the World Championships in Doha in 2019, although she did not try to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.