Canadian athletes continue to break down barriers during competition at the 2012 London Olympics.

Christine Girard won Canada's first ever medal in women's weightlifting (bronze).

Our women's gymnastics team advanced to the final for the first time in a non-boycotted games finishing a best ever fifth place.

Emilie Heymans became the first female diver to medal in four different Olympic Games.

Add Brent Hayden to the list.

Hayden, competing in his final Olympics won bronze Wednesday in the men's 100 metre freestyle.

It's the first ever medal for a Canadian male in the 100-free.

Our previous best was a sixth place finish on two occasions, the most recent by Dick Pound in Rome in 1960.

Hayden from Mission, BC, finished in a time of 47.80 seconds.

"It’s just amazing right now," Hayden told CTVOlympics.ca after his race.

"With 23 metres left to go right when it started to hurt, I just told myself: 'Brent, this could be your last hundred metre freestyle ever. Just go for it man, just go.'"

American swimmer  Nathan Adrian captured the gold medal, 0.28 seconds ahead of Hayden.

Canada now has six medals through day five of the games, one silver and five bronze.

The silver medal was won earlier in the day with the Canadian men's eights with coxswain rowed to a second place finish.