The Netherlands took silver in 3:14.36 while the United States,led by newly crowned 400m individual medley Olympic champion Michael Phelps, finished third in 3:14.62.

    Defending champions Australia had to settle for a disappointed sixth in 3:15.77.

    "It feels like a dream. It is unbelieveable,"said Ryk Neethling,the fourth swimmer in the South African team.

    "It showed we can do it and we were full of confidence. There were all the tough things but we finally pulled it through," he said. Neethling as well as Mark Roland Schoeman and Lyndon Ferns study in the Nebraska University in the United States while the 19-year-old Darian Townsend trains at home. Enditem