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ROME, Italy, July 29. FRANCE's Alain Bernard put together a strong semifinal swim to lead the men's 100 qualifying into finals at the FINA World Championships.
Bernard blasted a 47.27 in the first semifinal, the eighth-fastest time ever, to top qualifying.
The first semifinal proved to be the deepest as Brazil's Cesar Cielo placed second in 47.48. Sweden's Stefan Nystrand (47.53) and Brazil's Nicolas Oliveira (47.78) qualified third and fourth.
Canada's Brent Hayden (47.88) provided the top finish from the second semi, while the United States' David Walters picked up a finale spot with a sixth-place 47.92. South Africa's Lyndon Ferns (47.96) and France's Fred Bousquet (47.98) also made finals.