Thursday, August 14, 2008 - 3:42 PM

Frenchman Alain Bernard has won the men's 100-metres freestyle, edging out Australian Eamon Sullivan for the coveted sprint gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

In a hotly contested final, Bernard gained the ascendancy in the final 50m and became the first Frenchman to win the event in a time of 47.21 seconds.

World record holder Sullivan enjoyed a great start leading at the turn by 0.05 seconds, only to finish a close second in 47.32 after Bernard stormed back with a 24.68 last 50m.

It is Australia's second silver medal in the 100m, an event the country has not won since Michael Wenden at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.

American Jason Lezak and Brazil's Cesar Cielo Filho tied for the bronze medal in a time of 47.67, while Sullivan's fellow Australian Matt Targett finished seventh in 48.20.

Two-time champion Pieter van den Hoogenband finished in fifth in 47.75, missing an opportunity to become the first male to win the same event at three Olympic Games.

Bernard helped make up for his disappointment in the 4x100m freestyle relay, when he was mowed down by Lezak to hand the United States the gold medal and keep Michael Phelps's bid for eight alive.

"The best moment is when I turned back and I saw number one next to my name," Bernard said.

"It's huge, unbelievable. I don't know if I realise. At any moment I felt that I could be beaten.

"The relay was a lesson, to be beaten and passed was really shocking. I could have been down then, but after all the work from these last years I didn't want to let it go."

The world record in the event had fallen three times in Beijing.

Sullivan seized the mark from Bernard with a lead-off leg of 47.24 in the 4x100m freestyle relay on Monday.

Bernard regained the mark with a time of 47.20 in the first semi-final on Wednesday, and Sullivan snatched it back with his astonishing 47.05 in the second semi.

"Full credit to Alain, he swam a great race and really worked on my weaknesses," Sullivan said.

"I was maybe caught into swimming other people's races, I gave it 100 per cent, as I always do when I race.

"Putting in that great relay and the world record probably took its toll.

"I am looking forward to the 50m now."