In lane seven, Tori Bowie looked relaxed before the final of the women’s 100m. The date was August 6, 2017 and the venue was the Olympic stadium in London, for the World Athletics Championships.
However, as her competitors exploded out of their starting blocks, the 26-year-old found herself trailing all but one sprinter. Halfway through the race, she had not gained ground on any of her rivals.
Then, with a sudden burst of power, she overtook five women in under three seconds. Still, the Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou was leading by such a margin that the announcer was already calling the event in her favour. Bowie pressed on. Dipping over the line in one final attempt to clinch victory, she lost control of her body