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

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

, winner of the 100 and 200 metres races at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

and a former

world record holder In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

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 conteste ...

sprint.

Early life

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

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

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

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. At the age of 15, Williams suffered from

rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...

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, Wiliams and his volunteer coach, Bob Granger, worked as waiters and dishwashers in a 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 ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, 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 Robert C. "Bob" McAllister (June 2, 1935 – July 21, 1998) was an American television personality, magician, and children's entertainer and a host of ''Wonderama''. Early career Born in Philadelphia, Bob first made his name as a ventriloquist o ...

. The final opened with two false starts, first by

Wilfred Legg Wilfred Beauchamp "Billie" Legg (3 November 1906 – 1973) was a South African athlete who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. Legg was born in Robertson, Western Cape Robertson is a town in the Western Cape Province of South ...

and then one by

Frank Wykoff Frank Clifford Wykoff (October 29, 1909 – January 1, 1980) was an American athlete, triple gold medal winner in 4 × 100 m relay at the Olympic Games. Career Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Frank Wykoff has a place in track and field hi ...

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

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (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 to ...

with Georg Lammers third. Williams then won the 200 metres two days later, coming from behind to overtake

Helmut Körnig Helmut Körnig (12 September 1905 – 5 March 1972) was a German sprinter who competed at the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. He won an individual bronze medal in the 200 m in 1928 and two team medals in the 4 × 100 m relay at both Olympics. K� ...

, 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 (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , 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 Canadi ...

station at the foot of

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

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

Simon Fraser Tolmie Simon Fraser Tolmie, (January 25, 1867 – October 13, 1937) was a veterinarian, farmer, politician, and the 21st premier of British Columbia, Canada. Early life Tolmie had a pioneer lineage, which aided him in his political aspirations ...

. 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 organization ...

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 most recent edition of the event took place in Montrea ...

Varsity Stadium Varsity Stadium is an outdoor collegiate football stadium located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Toronto Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto. Athletic events have been hosted on the site since 1898; the ...

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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, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

) in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...

, 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 duri ...

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 The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from 1855 to 1940. The NPAM (also called "the Militia" though that term could also encompass the full-time standing army known as the Permanent A ...

, his occupation listed as "Salesman" and religion as "C of E" (

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

). He also served as a civilian pilot during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, ferrying aircraft around the country for

Canadian Airways Canadian Airways Limited was a Canadian regional passenger and freight air service based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was founded by James Armstrong Richardson Sr. in 1926 as Western Canada Airways (WCA), was fully established in 1930 following ...

, then became a civilian flight instructor with the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) 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 environm ...

. 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 1980, he donated his two gold medals from the 1928 Olympics to the

BC Sports Hall of Fame The BC Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in BC Place Stadium, at Gate A, the main entrance to the stadium, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It collects, preserves, studies and interprets materials that relate to British Columbia's spo ...

, saying he wanted them to be seen and remembered. Within weeks they were stolen never to be found again. It was said at that time Williams simply shrugged off the loss and no replacements were ever issued. 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 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. In 1979, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. 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 term often used to mean any 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 joints. In some ...

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 (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, 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 one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, is named after Williams. In 1996,

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...

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 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 Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics World record setters in athletics (track and field) Officers of the Order of Canada Olympic gold medalists for Canada Olympic track and field athletes of Canada 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