Today In Sports History (March 22, 2008)

On this day in 2008, French swimmer Alain Bernard won the European Championships 100 meter freestyle (long course) breaking his own world record of 47.50 seconds in the process. He had set the record the previous day in the semi-finals at 47.60 seconds. He later broke that record in the 2008 Olympic Games, where he also won the 100 m freestyle gold medal. He became just the second Frenchmen to win an Olympic gold medal. Jean Boiteux was the first, winning the 400 m freestyle gold medal during the 1952 Helsinki Games.