14 Facts About Alain Bernard

Alain Bernard won numerous medals at the World Championships and European Championships.

Alain Bernard formerly held the world record for the 50 metres freestyle and the 100 metres freestyle.

Alain Bernard had already beaten the world record the previous day, finishing in 47.60 seconds in the semi-finals.

Alain Bernard would go on to win the 50m freestyle final in 21.66 seconds.

Alain Bernard, who had a lead going into the final leg of slightly less than a body length, was caught in the final strokes by Jason Lezak, whose final leg of 46.06 seconds was the fastest relay leg in history.

The close defeat left Alain Bernard "wounded," according to his coach.

Alain Bernard had one day earlier set a new 100 metres freestyle long course world record of 47.20 s in the semi-finals.

Alain Bernard finished third in the men's 50 metres freestyle final behind Cesar 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.

Alain Bernard failed to qualify for the 50 m freestyle and 100 m freestyle events of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London by finishing only fifth in both events during the French swimming championships in March 2012.

Alain Bernard announced his retirement from swimming shortly after the 2012 Olympic Games.

Alain Bernard was chosen as the 2008 L'Equipe Champion of Champions by L'Equipe.

Alain Bernard was chosen as the 2008 RTL Champion of Champions by RTL, a French commercial radio network.

On 1 January 2013, Alain Bernard was made an Officer of the French National Order of Merit.

Alain Bernard has been a volunteer in the Gendarmerie since 2008 and was until recently attached to the Groupement blinde de gendarmerie mobile based in Versailles-Satory in the Yvelines department.