The initiative followed a request from Williams’ family which prompted the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and IOC to work together using original specifications to recreate the 100 and 200 metres medals won the sprinter, who died in 1982 aged 74.

The family in turn has donated the newly minted medals to the BC Sports Hall of Fame - from where the originals were stolen.

The replacement medals can be viewed and appreciated in a new display honouring Williams’ legacy.

At 15, Williams was told to refrain from participating in all sports after succumbing to acute rheumatic fever - he started running the following year.

To participate in the 1928 Canadian Olympic trials in Hamilton, Ontario, Williams, who was born in Vancouver, worked long hours as a waiter to raise funds to pay for his trip.

Having qualified in both sprints, equalling the Olympic 100m record of 10.6secs in so doing, Williams earned the long trip to Belgium.

In Antwerp he twice matched the Olympic 100m record en route to winning gold.

Despite this, his victory was such a surprise that Olympic officials didn’t have a Canadian flag or national anthem for the medal ceremony, causing a delay.

A couple of days later Williams won the 200m final by a metre, becoming the third sprinter in history at the time to achieve the Olympic sprint double.

Following his unheralded double gold Williams returned to Vancouver to a hero’s welcome, being greeted by 25,000 fans at the train station on a day when a school holiday was declared.

In 1930, he set a 100m world record of 10.3secs which stood until Jesse Owens broke it by running 10.2 at the Berlin 1936 Olympics.

Later in 1930 he won the 100 yards title in the home, inaugural Commonwealth Games in Hamilton, but tore the tendons in his upper left leg around the 70 yards mark and never fully recovered.

After failing to reach the 100m final at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics he retired and became an insurance agent.

In 1972, a Canadian Press poll declared Williams Canada’s all-time greatest Olympic athlete and in 1979 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

A year later he donated his Olympic medals to the BC Sports Hall of Fame, from where they were stolen two weeks later.

He had said he wanted them to be seen and remembered.

Williams suffered acutely from arthritis in his later years, and killed himself in 1982 with a shotgun he had received to mark his Olympic successes.

"We are very happy to have played a small part in renewing Percy’s story," said Tracey Mead, a member of Williams’ extended family.

"He was a great Canadian athlete and now his accomplishments will be back on display.

"We felt compelled to put his recognition back in place not only because of our family connection but also so people don’t forget this great man."

BC Sports Hall of Fame curator Jason Beck added: "Without a doubt, Percy Williams is one of the most underappreciated Canadian Olympic athletes of all time.

"The recreation of Percy’s Amsterdam 1928 Olympic gold medals returns the spotlight within the BC Sports Hall of Fame to one of the more incredible underdog stories in the history of BC Sport."

COC President and four-time Olympian Tricia Smith added: "This is a very special moment and we are thrilled to be able to again celebrate Percy Williams’ historic achievements and remarkable legacy for Canadian sport."