OSAKA - Australian team co-captain Robbie Van Der Zant tonight won Australia's first individual event at the 3rd East Asian Games in Osaka when he came from behind to defeat team mate Stephen Goudie in a thrilling 100m freestyle final at the Osaka Pool.

Van Der Zant finished over the top of Goudie, the fastest qualifier, to clock a time of 50.58 with Goudie second in 50.84.

It capped a great start to the Games for the 25-year-old veteran, who made his debut for Australia at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada.

He will now line up for Australia in his specialist 200m individual medley and the Australian 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays.

Van Der Zant, coached by his brother Ric at Yeronga Park in Brisbane, has now put his hand up for inclusion in the Australian team for this year's Goodwill Games in Brisbane.

His performance last night to clock a personal best time of 1:50.75 to lead the Australian 4x200m freestyle relay to victory will certainly help his cause.

"After missing the World Championship team I came here determined to swim fast and that relay last night was a great thrill and to back up and win 100m freestyle is a real bonus, it's been a lot of fun" said Van Der Zant.

"Believe it or not that's the first 100m race I think I've ever won. There has always been someone in Queensland who beat me as an age grouper.

"But this year I said to Ric, let's swim freestyle for something different. I've made just about every Australian final in medley and the form strokes so to swim freestyle and win here is great."

Another outstanding performance on night three came from Gold Coaster Leigh McBean, who won his third Commemorative Plate of the meet, after finishing second in a personal best time and the fifth fastest time ever by an Australian in the 200m backstroke.

McBean, a member of the 4x200m freestyle relay last night, clocked 2:00.87, leapfrog two-time Olympian Toby Haenan in the Australian rankings.

On night two, the lanky Denis Cotterell coached 19-year-old finished second in the 200m freestyle, also in a personal best time.

He still has the 100m backstroke and the 4x100m freestyle relay events to swim and depending on the result of the 100m backstroke, maybe even the 4xs100m medley relay.

Andrew Burns finished fifth in the same event, clocking a time of 2:05.80.

In the women's 4x100m freestyle relay, Australia's team of Melinda Geraghty (57.53), Jessica Abbott (57.42), Jordana Webb (57.47) and Kate Krywulycz (57.87) finished third behind China and Japan.

The Australians clocked 3:50.29, with China winning in 3:43.07 from Japan, 3:44.63.

In other events tonight, Australian pair Tammie Smith (4:15.75) and Kate Krywulycz (4:15.94) both clocked personal best times to finish fourth and fifth respectively in the 400m freestyle while Sophie Edington (1:03.88) and Frances Adcock (1:04.06pb) finished fourth and sixth respectively in the 100 metres backstroke.

The Day Four program is:

Men
400m freestyle (Stephen Penfold, Andrew Affleck)
200m breaststroke (Jim Piper,Jarrad Church)
4x100m freestyle relay (Rob Van Der Zant, Leigh McBean, Stephen Goudie, Nic Williams)

Women
100m butterfly (Lara Davenport, Jordana Webb)
100m breaststroke (Brooke Martin, Sarah Katsoulis)
800m freestyle (Tammie Smith, Kate Krywulycz)