Tori Bowie

Frentorish "Tori" Bowie (August 27, 1990 – May 2023) was an American track and field athlete, who primarily competed in the long jump, 100 m, and 200 m. She had a personal record of 6.95 m (22 ft 9+1⁄2 in) for the long jump, set in 2014. Bowie was the 2017 100m world champion, a 2016 Olympian, and a three-time Olympic medalist.

Bowie competed collegiately for the University of Southern Mississippi and was a two-time NCAA long jump champion, winning indoors and outdoors in 2011. She held the school records for the long jump and was also NCAA runner-up outdoors in 2012. Bowie came runner-up in the long jump at the 2014 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and represented her country at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

After winning Diamond League races in Eugene, Rome, New York, and Monaco in 2014, Bowie shifted her focus to the sprints beginning in 2015. She held personal bests of 10.78 seconds for the 100-meter dash, 21.77 seconds for the 200-meter dash, and 7.14 seconds for the 60-meter dash, as well as having a triple jump best of 13.09 m (42 ft 11+1⁄4 in).

Early life and college career

Born in Sand Hill, Rankin County, Mississippi, she attended Pisgah High School and began competing in track for the school. She won two state high school championships in the 100 m dash, 200 m dash and the long jump, as well as three state titles in the 4×100 m relay. She also competed on the state team in women's basketball. Bowie gained an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, doing an interdisciplinary degree. She represented the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles in NCAA Division I competitions. Doing both sprints and jumps, she had her best results in the long jump during her freshman year, coming third at the Conference USA indoors, second at the Conference USA outdoors and reaching the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship, where she jumped in qualifying only.

In her second year of collegiate competition she set an indoor best of 6.23 m (20 ft 5+1⁄4 in) in the long jump and was the Conference USA indoor runner-up. At the outdoor Conference USA meet, she came third in the long jump and also made the 100 m final. A personal record of 6.43 m (21 ft 1 in) for the long jump saw her qualify again for the NCAA meet, where she finished sixth in the final. She also jumped nationally at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, managing eighth place overall.

The 2011 season saw her rise to the top of the rankings. She began with a long jump victory at the Conference USA indoors, where she was also runner-up in the triple jump. A jump of 6.52 m (21 ft 4+1⁄2 in) was enough to win Bowie her first college title in the long jump at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship – this was also a school record mark. She was second in both horizontal jumps at the Conference USA Outdoors, then won the NCAA outdoor long jump title with another school record mark of 6.64 m (21 ft 9+1⁄4 in). For her achievements she was named the conference female athlete of the year.

In her final year of college at the University of Southern Mississippi, she began with a triple jump win at the Conference USA indoor championships with a personal record of 13.09 m (42 ft 11+1⁄4 in) for the event. She also managed second place in the long jump. Bowie competed in both jumps at the NCAA indoor championship, but was out of the top eight in both events. Outdoors, she significantly improved her 100 m best that year, dropping from 11.76 to 11.28 seconds. She entered three events at the outdoor Conference USA meet, coming third in the 100 m, first in the long jump with a new school record of 6.78 m (22 ft 2+3⁄4 in), as well as fifth in the triple jump. In her last major outing for the Southern Miss Eagles she tried to defend her NCAA outdoor title in the long jump, but was beaten by Whitney Gipson and finished second.

Professional career

Bowie began competing in track and field professionally in 2013. At the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships she was a 100 m semi-finalist and narrowly missed the long jump team for the 2013 World Championships in Athletics after finishing fourth in that event. She also competed on the IAAF Diamond League circuit for the first time, long jumping at the Adidas Grand Prix and Herculis meets.

Bowie continued to improve at the start of 2014, setting indoor bests of 7.14 seconds for the 60 m dash and clearing 6.95 m (22 ft 9+1⁄2 in) for the long jump in Naperville, Illinois. After a win at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, her runner-up finish in the long jump at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships gained Bowie a spot on team for the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Unfortunately, she faltered in the qualifying and was eliminated, coming 14th overall.

In June 2014, she set two new personal records in the 100 m dash & 200 m dash events at the IAAF Diamond League Championship. She competed in the Adidas Grand Prix event in Randall's Island, New York. Bowie placed first in the BMW Women’s 100 m race with a time of 11.07 seconds. She ran a 10.91, netting her the top time in the semifinal at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Bowie won with a 10.81 time at the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships to earn a spot in the women's 100 meter heats at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, where she went on to earn a bronze medal.

Bowie placed third in the 100 m by running a 10.779 at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Bowie won the silver medal in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.83s. She then won the bronze medal in the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.15s. She also won a gold medal as a member of the 4×100 m relay team.

At the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London, Bowie won the gold medal in the 100 meter dash, achieving a time of 10.85 seconds, with a .01 second margin of victory.

At the 2019 BYU Robison Invitational on Clarence Robison Track at Brigham Young University, Bowie jumped the entry standard for the 2019 World Championships 6.78 m (22 ft 2+3⁄4 in) on April 27, 2019.

Death

On May 3, 2023, it was announced that Bowie had died at her home in Florida. She was 32.

Outdoor

• 100 meter dash – 10.78 (2016)
• 200 meter dash – 21.77 (2017)
• Long jump – 6.91 m (22 ft 8 in) (2013)
• Triple jump – 12.65 m (41 ft 6 in) (2012)

Indoor

• 60 meter dash – 7.14 (2014)
• Long jump – 6.95 m (22 ft 9+1⁄2 in) (2014)
• Triple jump – 13.09 m (42 ft 11+1⁄4 in) (2012)

Did not start in the semifinals

Long jump titles

• NCAA Women's Indoor Championships: 2011
• NCAA Women's Outdoor Championships: 2011