| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 1 | 100m Freestyle | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 47.21 |
| 2 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 3:08.32 |
| 3 | 50m Freestyle | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | 21.49 |
| World Championships | ||||
| 2 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 3:11.14 |
| 2 | 100m Freestyle | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 47.12 |
| 3 | 50m Freestyle | 2011 | Shanghai, CHN | 21.92 |
| 3 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:09.89 |
| 3 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2007 | Melbourne, VIC, AUS | 3:14.68 |
| 5 | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2009 | Rome, ITA | 3:29.73 |
| European Championships | ||||
| 1 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 3:13.55 |
| 1 | 100m Freestyle | 2010 | Budapest, HUN | 48.49 |
| 2 | 100m Freestyle | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 48.95 |
| 2 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2010 | Budapest, HUN | 3:13.29 |
| 4 | 4 x 100m Medley Relay | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 3:35.41 |
| 7 | 50m Freestyle | 2012 | Debrecen, HUN | 22.24 |
| World Championships Short Course | ||||
| 1 | 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay | 2010 | Dubai, UAE | 3:04.78 |
| 4 | 100m Freestyle | 2010 | Dubai, UAE | 46.37 |
| 6 | 50m Freestyle | 2010 | Dubai, UAE | 21.20 |
Nickname
Hovercraft, The Horse, or The Great Blonde Shark [due to his hair colour, which comes from a play on words in French where 'white' and 'blond' are spelt and pronounced similarly]. (alainbernard-lesite.com, 28 Nov 2010; netglimse.com, 27 Nov 2010; telegraph.co.uk, 24 Mar 2008)
Hobbies
He is interested in aeronautics, astronomy, playing the guitar, music, nature, and Japanese Manga culture. (alainbernard-lesite.com, 15 Nov 2011)
Occupation
Serves in the Army
Language(s) spoken
French
Club name
Antibes, Antibes, FRA
Coach
Denis Auguin (alainbernard-lesite.com, 15 Nov 2011)
Injuries
He suffers from a recurrent back problem as a result of growth spurts in his teenage years. This hampered his progress early in his career. (reuters.com, 23 Mar 2008)
Prior to the Olympic Games in Athens he suffered from toxoplasmosis and glandular fever. (sify.com, 01 Aug 2008)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
He started swimming as a small boy. "When I was small, I was a terrible swimmer," he says. (alainbernard-lesite.com, 28 Nov 2010)
Reason for taking up this sport
His mother wanted all of her children to learn to swim. (alainbernard-lesite.com, 28 Nov 2010)
Ambitions
He is aiming to retain his Olympic title in the 100m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics in London.
(alainbernard-lesite.com, 15 Nov 2011)
Training
Six morning and four afternoon sessions in the pool, three gym sessions and three physiotherapy sessions a week. (alainbernard-lesite.com, 15 Nov 2011)
Hero
Russian swimmer, Alexander Popov. (fftda.fr, 29 May 2008)
Dutch swimmer, Pieter van den Hoogenband. (Reuters, 07 Aug 2008)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"Take your time to go fast." (reuters.com, 23 Mar 2008)
General
2011 WORLDS SHOCK SLIP UP
He failed to qualify for the final of his preferred event, the 100m freestyle, at the 2011 FINA World Championships. (lefigaro.fr, 23 Jul 2011)
SWIMMING ROMANCE
He started dating French swimmer Coralie Balmy after meeting at the Olympic Games in Beijing. The pair were still together in 2011 and training at the same club in Antibes. (melty.fr, 19 Jun 2009; alainbernard-lesite.com, 07 Oct 2011; public.fr, 27 Oct 2011)
HIGH-TECH SUIT RECORDS
He is one of the swimmers who broke dozens of world records in 2008 wearing Speedo's LZR Racer suit, which were banned in competition in 2009. He broke the then 50m world record and 100m. In 2009 he became the first man to break the 47-second barrier with 46.94sec in the 100m freestyle at the French championships, setting a new world record. But FINA stripped his record after ruling against his Arena X-Glide suit because it was part-polyurethane. (france24.com, 23 Jun 2009; timesonline.co.uk, 24 Mar 2008)
CHANGE OF STROKE
His coach, Daniel Auguin, convinced him to change from backstroke to freestyle. "In backstroke I could have become a decent swimmer, but never world class," he said. (reuters.com, 23 Mar 2008)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008
