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 100m 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.

Source: tvnz.co.nz