Percy Williams

Percy Alfred Williams was a slight, unassuming runner from Vancouver who suffered from rheumatic fever as a child, with doctors warning him against vigorous exercise. Coached by Bob Granger at King George High School, Williams perfected an explosive bullet start and fluid stride.

Arriving at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam as an unknown twenty-year-old, Williams shocked the world by winning gold in both the 100 meters and 200 meters sprint events, a double triumph matched by only a handful of athletes in Olympic history. In 1930, he set a world record of 10.3 seconds in the 100 meters, inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.