Alain Bernard

Infobox Swimmer
swimmername=Alain Bernard

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imagesize = 300px
caption =
fullname = Alain Bernard
nationality = FRA
strokes = Freestyle
club = CN Antibes
collegeteam =
birthdate = birth date and age|1983|5|1
birthplace = Aubagne, France
deathdate =
deathplace =
height = height|m=1.96
weight = convert|84|kg|lb
medaltemplates=

Alain Bernard (born May 1, 1983) is a French swimmer from Aubagne.Bernard has won three medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics. After competing on the silver medal-winning French 4 x 100 m relay team, Bernard won the gold medal in the men's 100 m freestyle event.

Bernard is the former holder of the 100 m freestyle long course world record after winning the European LC Championships 2008 final in a time of 47.50 seconds on March 22, 2008. He had already beaten the world record the previous day, finishing in 47.60 seconds in the semifinals. On March 23, Bernard lowered the 50 m freestyle world record to a time of 21.50 but only held the record for four days before being bettered by Australian Eamon Sullivan. [cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/27/2201152.htm|title=Sullivan smashes 50m world record|publisher=ABC|date=27 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-27] . Sullivan then bettered Bernard's 100 m freestyle mark in the opening leg of the 4x100 meter relay in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Bernard responded in the semi final of the 100 m with a time of 47.20, only to be bettered again in the next semifinal by Sullivan with a time of 47.05.

2008 Olympics

At the French Championships, Bernard qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing in the 50 m freestyle (with a time of 21.69 s) and 100 m free (47.82 s).

He and his team ended up in second place behind the American team by .08 seconds. Bernard, who was given a lead going into the anchor leg of slightly less than a bodylength, was caught in the final strokes by Jason Lezak, whose anchor leg of 46.06 seconds was the fastest relay leg in history.

The close defeat left Bernard "wounded," according to his coach [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/10/phelps.usa.relay.ap/index.html] . However, he rebounded to win the gold medal in the men's 100 metre freestyle final, in which Lezak tied for the bronze. Bernard became only the second Frenchman to win a gold medal in swimming, after Jean Boiteux, who won the 400 m freestyle at the 1952 Helsinki Games. He also finished third in the 50m freestyle final behind César Cielo Filho of Brazil and Amaury Leveaux of France, making it the first time in Olympic history that France had produced two medallists in a swimming final.

Personal bests

Victories

Olympic Games

*Beijing Olympics (China) :
** Men's 100 m freestyle gold medal.
** Men's 4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay silver medal.
** Men's 50 m freestyle bronze medal.

FINA World Championships

*FINA World Championships 2007 in Melbourne (Australia) :
** Men's 4 x 100 m Medley french Relay bronze medal.

Europe Aquatics Championships

Long Course

*Europe Aquatics Championships 2006 in Budapest (Hungary) :
** Men's 4 x 100 m Freestyle bronze medal.
*Europe Aquatics Championships 2008 in Eindhoven (Netherlands) :
** Men's 50 m freestyle gold medal.
** Men's 100 m freestyle gold medal.

hort Course

*Europe Aquatics Championships 2005 in Trieste (Italia) :
** Men's 4x50 m Medley Relay freestyle silver medal.
*Europe Aquatics Championships 2006 in Helsinki (Finlande) :
** Men's 4 x 50 m Medley Relay silver medal.
** Men's 100 m freestyle bronze medal.
*Europe Aquatics Championships 2007 in Debrecen (Hungary) :
** Men's 100 m freestyle gold medal.
** Men's 4x50 m Medley Relay silver medal.
** Men's 50 m freestyle bronze medal.

Personal life

Currently dating fellow French swimmer Coralie Balmy. [http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2008/08/30/472933-Entre-Alain-Bernard-et-Coralie-Balmy-ca-baigne.html]

See also

*World record progression 100 metres freestyle

References

External links

* [http://www.swimrankings.net/index.php?page=athleteDetail&athleteId=1528989 swimrankings.net] Bernard, Alain - Swim Rankings by GeoLogix AG, Switzerland.
*fr icon [http://www.lequipe.fr/Aussi/AussiFicheAthlete7000000000023763.html Fiche de Bernard] , Website of the sports daily "L'Équipe".
*Results & Videos on [http://www.swimpassion.net/Athletes/alainbernard.html SwimPassion.net]
* [http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1819129_1819134_1825751,00.html "Alain Bernard"] , n°29 on "Time"’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"