Breaking the 48-second barrierPeter van den HoogenbandPieter van den Hoogenband)1978.3.14- The Netherlands
September 19, 2000,HoggenbandHe set a world record in the men's 100m freestyle semifinal at the Sydney Olympics—47.84 seconds. He also broke the world record in the 200m semifinal on the 17th, clocking 1:45.35. At those Games, he claimed a remarkable double gold medal victory.Hogendorn competed in three Olympic Games, finishing fourth in both the 100m and 200m freestyle at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He then claimed a double gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games, and successfully defended his title to win the men’s 100m freestyle gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In total, he earned 7 Olympic medals: 3 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes.
Hogendorn was named World Swimmer of the Year in 2000 and European Swimmer of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2004.
In December 2008, Hogenband retired and went on to serve as a commentator for numerous swimming events, including the 2012 London Olympics.Eamon・Sullivan(Eamon Sullivan)
On August 11, 2008, Australian athlete Eamon Sullivan set a new men’s 100-meter world record of 47.24 seconds during the Beijing Olympics preliminaries. This mark was immediately broken later that day by French swimmer Alain Bernard, who clocked 47.20 seconds in the same heat. However, Sullivan struck back in the semifinals on the 13th, reclaiming the world record with a stunning time of 47.05 seconds. The following day, in the final, Bernard edged out Sullivan to claim gold with a time of 47.21 seconds, while Sullivan finished second at 47.32 seconds.After retiring, Sullivan made several investments in the food business, running multiple restaurants in and around Perth. In 2009, he won the first season of "MasterChef Australia" and also made a guest appearance on the third season of "My Kitchen Rules," where he prepared a dish featuring chocolate chips—earning him the title of "Celebrity MasterChef 2009."
On August 13, 2008, during the men's 100-meter freestyle final at the Beijing Olympics, French swimmer Alain Bernard set a new world record with a time of 47.20 seconds—marking the first time a world record had ever fallen below 48 seconds.Bernard set his first world record on March 22, 2008, during the European Championships semifinals, swimming the event in 47.60 seconds. He then improved upon that mark in the final, clocking a stunning 47.50 seconds to claim the championship title. On April 23, 2009, at the French National Championships, he once again made history, finishing the race in an impressive 46.94 seconds—just 0.27 seconds faster than his own world record from the previous year.In the men's 100-meter freestyle final on the morning of August 14, 2008, Bernard edged out Australian swimmer Eamon Sullivan with a time of 47.20 seconds, clinching the highly anticipated "Flying Fish" showdown and securing the gold medal. Although he was consistently overshadowed by Sullivan during the first 50 meters, Bernard unleashed a breathtaking surge in the second half, propelling himself forward with powerful, rapid strokes as the crowd erupted in roaring cheers. In the final stretch, he made a stunning comeback, overtaking Sullivan in the last 5 meters to claim victory—winning by just 0.11 seconds and claiming the gold medal.Overjoyed after his victory, Bernard tossed off his swim cap and goggles, plopped himself right onto the waterline, and began frantically pounding the surface with his fists. Even two hours after the race, the usually flamboyant Frenchman remained in disbelief, repeatedly exclaiming at the press conference, "I can’t believe it!"It turns out that three days ago, in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, Bernard experienced perhaps the most devastating "Waterloo" of his career. With just 25 meters left in the race, Bernard still held the lead over Jason Lezak. Despite his clear physical advantage—thanks to his perfect body length—he was edged out by Lezak at the very last moment, who mounted a fierce final push to overtake him. The final time? A blistering 46.06 seconds, setting the fastest-ever 100m freestyle record—a full 0.6 seconds faster than the previous mark. Meanwhile, Team USA clinched the gold medal with an overall time of 3:08.24, finishing just 0.08 seconds ahead of France.After losing the relay race, Bernard sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there for a long time without resurfacing. In the mixed zone, he skipped all interviews and instead rushed straight into the restroom. Later, he admitted: "That relay race really broke my heart— I’ve been beating myself up over it ever since." Fortunately, his coach stepped in promptly after the race to calm Bernard down and ease the heavy emotional burden he was carrying. The coach reminded Bernard that the relay is a team effort involving four athletes, and blaming himself entirely for the loss wasn’t fair or accurate."Bernard is a champion athlete who must learn how to embrace failure and bounce back stronger after setbacks—qualities that every true champion simply has to possess," commented Claude, the technical director of the French swimming team. "Fortunately, Bernard has already mastered this lesson, and he’s picking it up at an impressive pace."Bernard has become France's most-decorated Olympic swimmer, earning a total of four medals—two golds, one silver, and one bronze—at the Beijing and London Games. After retiring at the age of 29, he now continues to share his passion for swimming as an ambassador and technical advisor for the French brand AquaSphere, specializing in swimming equipment.
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