Hard work drives Frenchman Bernard to world records

By Derek Parr

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (Reuters) - Alain Bernard said on Saturday that his world records at the European Championships were the result of hard work and warned potential Olympic rivals he might be able to swim even faster.

The heavily muscled Frenchman obliterated the 100 metres freestyle record twice in two days, taking it far beyond the epic 47.84 seconds mark established by Pieter van den Hoogenband at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Bernard's awesome power cut the record to 47.60 in the semi-finals and lowered it to 47.50 in the final, with the crowd on their feet cheering, in the Dutchman's Van den Hoogenband's home pool. "It's symbolic," Bernard said.

France's national technical director Claude Fauquet said it was a "mythical exploit" in French and world sport.

"I didn't expect to do that at all, not yesterday and not today," Bernard told a news conference at the National Swimming Centre pool complex after the record spree that left his rivals, including world champion Filippo Magnini, trailing in his wake.

Bernard's fastest time before Eindhoven was 48.12, making this an astonishing advance for the 24-year-old Frenchman. How had he done it? "It's work," he said.

"It's my potential. It was a different approach in training and competition, always continuing to work."

FIRM BELIEF

Asked what this different approach was, he said simply: "I believe in my group, I believe in my coach. The French team is getting stronger and stronger. I'm happy to be one of the leaders."

"I drink water and I train hard. I believe in what I'm doing," he said.

Bernard broke the opposition and softened up the record with the fierce speed of his first length.

"I always went out very fast. If you think before the race that the end will be tiring you'll never make it," he said.

He acknowledged there had been a change in approach to the classic 100 race, with the emphasis now on power rather than technique as exemplified by past master Alexander Popov and Van den Hoogenband, who was not well enough to swim the event here.

"Yes, it's more power but power always with technique. Without technique it's very difficult to swim," Bernard said.

Two momentous days in Eindhoven have turned the Frenchman into a marked man for August's Beijing Olympics but he said it was his job as an elite swimmer to cope with the pressure.

He has, in any case, given everyone pause for thought and if his rivals were not worried already, Bernard said he had not really rested fully from training for these championships.

"Maybe if I'm tapered I can go faster -- perhaps," he smiled.

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