Swimming: The WaterBoys want cool name

SYDNEY - Callers to talkback radio have suggested everything from Backstroke Boys to the Wet Dreamers.

The Australian men's 4x200m freestyle relay team which shattered the world record at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships this week is after a name, just like their compatriots from the successful 4x100m freestyle relay team of the 1980s who were dubbed the Mean Machine.

Ian Thorpe, Bill Kirby, Grant Hackett and Michael Klim took more than three seconds off Australia's previous world mark - set a year ago at the Commonwealth Games - clocking 7min 08.79sec at the Sydney Olympic pool.

Klim said the time had come for the team to be anointed with a name to recognise their feats.

But the shaven-headed star said he had no intentions of enticing his team-mates to get the razors out and copy him Mean Machine-style.

"I wouldn't recommend to anyone to look like this," Klim said.