Bernard won the European (Long Course) Championships 2008 100 m freestyle final in a new world record time of 47.50 seconds on 22 March 2008.

Bernard claimed to a newspaper that he and his French teammates, favorite to win the relay, "were going to smash the American team.

Bernard had one day earlier set a new 100 metres freestyle long course world record of 47.20 s in the semi-finals.

Bernard became only the second Frenchman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming, after Jean Boiteux, who won the 400 m freestyle at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

[8] On 1 January 2013, Bernard was made an Officer (Officier) of the French National Order of Merit.

attached to the Groupement blindé de gendarmerie mobile based in Versailles-Satory in the Yvelines department.