Percy Alfred Williams (May 19, 1908 – November 29, 1982) was a Canadian

athlete An athlete is most commonly a person who competes in one or more sports involving physical strength, speed, power, or endurance. Sometimes, the word "athlete" is used to refer specifically to sport of athletics competitors, i.e. including track ...

, winner of the 100 and 200 metres races at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

and a former world record holder for the

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...

sprint.

Early life

Williams was the only child of Frederick Williams, who was originally from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and Charlotte Rhodes, who hailed from St. John's,

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

. At the age of 15, Williams suffered from

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammation#Disorders, inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal throat infection. Si ...

and was advised to avoid strenuous physical activities. However, as his high school required participation in athletic competitions, he started training in sprint in 1924 and by 1927 became a local champion.

Olympic competition

At the 1928 Olympic trials, Williams won the 100 and 200 metres races, equaling the Olympic 100 metres record of 10.6 seconds. To earn his travel ticket for the trials, Williams and his volunteer coach, Bob Granger, worked as waiters and dishwashers in a railroad dining car, and Vancouver track fans raised the money to pay Granger's transatlantic ship passage to the 1928 Olympics. In the second round of the 100 metres at

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, Williams again equaled the Olympic record with a time of 10.6 seconds and did the same in his semi-final, but placed second to Bob McAllister. The final opened with two false starts, first by

Wilfred Legg Wilfred Beauchamp Legg also known as Billie Legg (3 November 1906 – 15 October 1973) was a South African Sport of athletics, athlete who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. Biography Legg was born in Robertson, Western Cape. He won t ...

and then one by

Frank Wykoff Frank Clifford Wykoff (October 29, 1909 – January 1, 1980) was an American athletics (sport), athlete, a triple gold medal winner in 4 × 100 m Relay race, relay at the Olympic Games. Career Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Frank Wykoff ha ...

. Williams took the lead off the start and never relinquished it, winning the gold over

Jack London John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...

with Georg Lammers third. Williams then won the 200 metres two days later, coming from behind to overtake Helmut Körnig, who had led out of the bend. It was Williams' eighth race in four days and he was the first non-American to complete the sprint double. Williams was also part of the Canadian team which was disqualified in the final of the 4 × 100 metre relay contest. Williams's victories were front-page news in Canada and he returned a national hero, feted by enormous crowds across the country. An estimated 25,000 people turned out to welcome him at the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

station at the foot of

Granville Street Granville Street is a major street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and part of Highway 99. Granville Street is most often associated with the Granville Entertainment District and the Granville Mall. This street also cuts through resid ...

in Vancouver. Williams was met off the train by Mayor L. D. Taylor and Premier

Simon Fraser Tolmie Simon Fraser Tolmie, (25 January 1867 – 13 October 1937) was a veterinarian, farmer, politician, and the 21st premier of British Columbia, Canada. He was the final premier from the BC Conservative party. Early life Tolmie had a pione ...

. They bundled him and Granger into cars and paraded them through the confetti-filled city. The event was broadcast live by reporters with microphones stationed along the route. Williams showed that his success was not an accident, setting a

World Record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

at the

Canadian Track and Field Championships The Canadian Track and Field Championships is an annual outdoor track and field competition organized by Athletics Canada, which serves as the Canadian national championships for the sport. The championships serve as part of the selection proces ...

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in 1930. He then won the 100 yard dash at the inaugural British Empire Games (now known as the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

) in

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, but tore the tendons in his upper left leg around the 70 yard mark and never made a full comeback. At the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

in Los Angeles, he was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 100 metre event. With the Canadian team he finished fourth in the 4 × 100 metre relay competition. Subsequently, Williams stopped running and became an insurance agent.

Later life and death

In August 1940, Williams joined the Non-Permanent Active Militia, his occupation listed as "Salesman" and religion as "C of E" (

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

). He also served as a civilian pilot during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, ferrying aircraft around the country for Canadian Airways, then became a civilian flight instructor with the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

. In 1971, after his former mentor's death, Williams was asked how much credit was due to Granger for his Olympic success. "Offhand, I'd say 100 percent," Williams answered. In the mid-1960s, he donated his two gold medals from the 1928 Olympics to the BC Sports Hall of Fame, saying he wanted them to be seen and remembered. In 1980, they were stolen never to be found again; gold prices at the time were at historic highs and it was suspected the medals had been melted down. It was said at that time Williams simply shrugged off the loss and no replacements were ever issued. In 2023 the stolen medals were replaced by newly minted replicas, recreated by the International Olympic Committee at the request of Williams family, who then rededicated them to B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. In later years, Williams grew bitter about his sporting experiences, culminating in being the only living Canadian Olympic gold medalist who refused the federal government's invitation to attend the

1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...

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. In 1979, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. Williams, who never married, lived with his mother, Dot, until her death in 1980, at the age of 92. After that, he lived on alone and suffered from terrible

arthritic Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected jo ...

pain. A keen collector of guns, Williams shot himself in the head with a shotgun he had been awarded in 1928 as a prize for his Olympic feat. His suicide was a major surprise to everyone and no note was left.Samuel Hawley, ''I Just Ran: Percy Williams, World's Fastest Human'' (Ronsdale Press, 2011), p. 272. He was interred at Masonic Cemetery of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Burnaby, Canada.

Awards and recognition

In 1950, Williams was proclaimed by a Canadian press poll as Canada's greatest track athlete of the first half of the century, which was later updated in 1972 to declare him Canada's all-time greatest Olympic athlete. Percy Williams Junior Public School located in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, is named after Williams. In 1996,

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...

released a postage stamp of Percy Williams as part of its "Sporting Heroes" series. Outside the BC Sports Hall of Fame at

BC Place BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side of False Creek, it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a Crown corporation of the province. The venue is currently ...

is a life-sized statue of Williams, crouched in a sprinter's stance.

Competition record

References

External links and further reading

short film of Percy Williams at the 1928 Summer Olympics (olympics.com)
* Neil Duncanson, ''The Fastest Men on Earth: The Story of the Men's 100 Metre Champions'', HarperCollinsWillow, 1988 *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Percy 1908 births 1982 suicides 1982 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1930 British Empire Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Canadian Anglicans Canadian male sprinters Canadian people of English descent Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada World record setters in athletics (track and field) Officers of the Order of Canada Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic track and field athletes for Canada Track and field athletes from Vancouver Suicides by firearm in British Columbia Medalists at the 1928 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Canadian aviators Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II Medallists at the 1930 British Empire Games 20th-century Canadian sportsmen Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics