Former US Olympic champion Tori Bowie, who won Track and Field gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, died in May, and her cause of death has been revealed.

BET reported that the late track star died due to pregnancy-related complications. Black women often face a much higher risk of death when giving birth for many reasons, including implicit bias from healthcare providers. Her death has renewed calls for more to be done against this medical bias against African-Americans.

She died last May, with the manner of her death being ruled to be "natural" by the Orange County Medical Examiner in Florida. Her death was a shock to the global track and field community as she was considered one of the best sprinters in the world.

Medical Examiner's Exact Findings in the Tori Bowie Death Revealed

The 32-year-old former Olympic star was found dead inside her Tinter Garden, Florida home on May 2. It was reported that several deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's office went inside for a welfare check after her neighbors reported that a woman in her early 30s "had not been seen or heard from in several days."

This launched an investigation, and according to USA Today, the Orange County medical examiner found that she was estimated to be eight months pregnant and undergoing labor at the time of her death. The examiner also added that she had a "well developed fetus," but died of possible complications she might have already had, such as respiratory distress and eclampsia.

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Eclampsia happens when a pregnant woman "develops seizures following a sudden spike in high blood pressure during pregnancy." It typically happens after the 20th week of pregnancy and is often considered to be a rare complication. However, when it does happen, it requires emergency medical care.

Soon after her death, Icon Management Inc., which manages Bowie, put out a statement, saying, "We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," before sending its condolences to the Olympic champion's family and friends.

Tori Bowie's Legendary Track and Field Career

Before she retired from active competition and her untimely death, Tori Bowie was a high school and college track and field standout before becoming an Olympian champion.

According to USA Track and Field, she was the first athlete from the University of Southern Mississippi, male or female, to sweep the long jump NCAA titles at both the indoor and outdoor events during a single season, which was 2010-2011.

While she won gold for sprinting at the Olympics, she was also known for being a dominant force in long jump competitions, winning gold in various USTF and NCAA competitions.

As for her performance on the grandest stage of them all, she won three medals at Rio de Janeiro. This includes a bronze medal in the 200m sprint, a silver in the 100m sprint, and of course, her gold medal-winning performance at 4x100m guaranteed that she was one of the best in the world.

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Written by: Rick Martin

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