EINDHOVEN (Netherlands), March 24: Alain Bernard shattered his third world record in as many days on Sunday when he broke the 50 metres freestyle mark at the European swimming championships.

Bernard powered home in the 50 freestyle semi-finals in 21.50 seconds to break the world mark of 21.56 set by Eamon Sullivan of Australia in Sydney on Feb 17 this year.

The 24-year-old Frenchman snatched the 100 metres freestyle world record from Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband at the Dutchman’s home pool on Friday, clocking 47.60 in the semi-finals to beat the 47.84 mark Van den Hoogenband set at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Bernard lowered the 100 mark to 47.50 in Saturday’s final.

He is the first man to break the 50 and 100 freestyle world records at the same meeting since American Matt Biondi performed the feat in Orlando in June 1986 ahead of the world championships.

Bernard sat on his lane rope, smilingly soaking up the applause of the crowd after the race.

Olympic silver medallist Duje Draganja of Croatia won the first semi-final in 21.94. Nobody else apart from Bernard broke the 22-second mark.

Sweden’s Stefan Nystrand, silver medallist behind Bernard in the 100, touched second in the second semi-final way after the Frenchman in 22.12.

Results of finals on Sunday:

Men’s:

4x200 metres freestyle relay: 1. Italy (E. Brembilla/M. Rosolino/N. Cassio/F. Magnini) seven minutes 09.94 seconds; 2. Russia (N. Lobintsev/A. Sukhorukov/E. Lagunov/Y. Prilukov) 7:11.70; 3. Austria (D. Koll/M. Rogan/D. Brandl/D. Jukic) 7:13.99; 4. Britain (D. Carry/A. Hunter/E. Dale/R. Davenport) 7:14.95; 5. Poland (P. Korzeniowski/L. Wojt/L. Giminski/L. Gasior) 7:16.40; 6. Denmark (J. Carstensen/J. Rud/E. Dall-Nielsen/J. Andkjaer) 7:20.60; 7. Greece (A. Zisimos/G. Demetis/I. Giannoulis/V. Demetis) 7:20.73; 8. Hungary (N. Kovacs/P. Nagy/K. Takacs/B. Gercsak) 7:34.98.

50 metres breaststroke: 1. Oleg Lisogor (Ukraine) 27.43 seconds; 2. Alexander Oen (Norway) 27.53; 3. Alessandro Terrin (Italy) 27.64; 4. Hugues Duboscq (France) 27.73; 5. Matjaz Markic (Slovenia) 27.92; 6. Lennart Stekelenburg (Netherlands) 28.16; 7. Igor Borysik (Ukraine) 28.21; 8. Mickey Malul (Israel) 28.48.

Women’s: 200 metres freestyle: 1. Sara Isakovic (Slovenia) one minute 57.45 seconds; 2. Camelia Potec (Romania) 1:57.47; 3. Agnes Mutina (Hungary) 1:58.06; 4. Evelyn Verraszto (Hungary) 1:58.60; 5. Ida Marko-Varga (Sweden) 1:59.10; 6. Josefin Lillhage (Sweden) 1:59.14; 7. Daria Beliakina (Russia) 1:59.16; 8. Flavia Zoccari (Italy) 2:00.79.

50 metres backstroke: 1. Anastasia Zueva (Russia) 28.05 seconds (European record); 2. Nina Zhivanevskaya (Spain) 28.11; 3. Sanja Jovanovic (Croatia) 28.17; 4. Aliaksandra Herasimenia (Belarus) 28.64; 5. Mercedes Peris (Spain) 28.85; 6. Hinkelien Schreuder (Netherlands) 28.86; 7. Hanna-Maria Seppaelae (Finland) 28.98; 8. Nikolett Szepesi (Hungary) 29.01.—Reuters