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She was once the fastest woman in the world. So when Tori Bowie was found dead last month at just 32 years old, it rocked the sport of track and field. And now the tragedy of her death is fully known: Bowie was eight months pregnant, and died due to complications from childbirth.
The revelation came from the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office in Florida, which just released its autopsy report on Bowie. The report concludes that Bowie, who was found in bed alone in a home, had been undergoing labor.
Bowie, whose career highlights include a 100-meter world championship and three Olympic medals (one of them gold), was found deceased on May 2, during a welfare check. The local sheriff’s office had sent deputies to check on her after she wasn’t seen for several days. Natural causes are cited in autopsy report
The elite athlete died from natural causes, Associate Medical Examiner Chantel Njiwaji wrote in her autopsy report, citing evidence of Bowie undergoing labor when she died. The toxicology report came back negative.
Njiwaji cited possible complications from respiratory distress and eclampsia. Eclampsia, like preeclampsia, is a disorder related to high blood pressure during pregnancy. The dangers of the two conditions are well-documented, even if their precise causes aren’t yet known.
«Preeclampsia is a sudden spike in blood pressure,» according to the National Institutes of Health. «Eclampsia is more severe and can include seizures or coma.»
The autopsy report listed the weight for Bowie, who was 5’9″, as 96 pounds. It also repeatedly described her body and organs as being in normal condition.
