Short-range order of atoms in rapidly quenched states of a simple liquid metal simulated by the molecular dynamics method is investigated in detail by computing the triplet distribution function g (3) ( r 12 , r 23 , r 31 ). Splitting of the second peak of g ( r ) is shown to reflect strong equilateral triplet correlations at low temperatures in the second-neighbour shell around an arbitrary atom. A glass structure of the quenched state examined with g (3) ( r , r , r ) is understood as a distorted and imperfect f.c.c . packing: the nearest shell around an arbitrary atom consists of the f.c.c . nearest-neighbours, occupancy of the second nearest-neighbour sites is suppressed very much, and the subpeaks in the second-neighbour shell correspond to the third- and the fourth-nearest neighbours. Correlations beyond the second-neighbour shell are more diffuse and similar to a liquid structure.