OSAKA - AUSTRALIAN Swimming's proud tradition in the men's 4x200 metres freestyle relay continued in awesome fashion tonight when a team of three young guns joined Olympian Rob Van Der Zant to record Australia's first win of the Games in the fastest time in the world this year.

Team captain Van Der Zant, 25, led off with a captain's knock (a personal best time of 1:50.75) and his 18-year-old team mates Stephen Penfold (1:50.70), Leigh McBean (1:50.38) and Nic Williams (1:52.27) chimed in to beat host nation Japan in a thrilling finish.

Spurred on by a stirring speech by coach Don Watson-Brown, the Aussie foursome kept Australia's dominant international 4x200m freestyle record in tact.

Australia is the reigning Olympic, World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific champions and world record holders