Madeleine McCann's brother picked to compete in Commonwealth Games
The younger brother of Madeline McCann will represent Scotland in swimming during the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Sean McCann, 21, has already represented his country at youth level in the 400m and 1500 freestyle and now has his sights set on competing at the Olympic Games for Team GB in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028.
McCann has been selected as part of a 25-person swimming squad for the games, alongside two-time Olympic gold medallist Duncan Scott.
He will again compete in the freestyle disciplines in the 11-day event that gets underway on Thursday, July 23 and runs until August 2.
Advert
Glasgow 2026 will feature the largest ever swimming programme at the Commonwealth Games.
Sean was just two years old when his elder sister, Madeline McCann, was taken from a holiday apartment as she slept on May 3, 2007.
The abduction of the three-year-old on the Praia da Luz, Algarve, Portugal, led to a worldwide man hunt that lasted years but Madeline was never found.
She is presumed dead.
It is not yet known if Sean's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, will be in attendance at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Sean's swimming journey
Sean, who has a twin sister called Amelie, began competitive swimming aged eight after being introduced to it by his mum, but 'hated' the sport initially.
“I started competitive sport when I was eight, joining Charnwood triathlon club," the chemical engineering student at Loughbroough University wrote on the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust website.
“It was here that I discovered my passion for swimming and I joined Loughborough Town swimming club to increase the number of swim sessions I did per week.
“At the age of ten, I was selected to swim at City of Leicester and I have since gone on to win multiple county titles as well as becoming regional and National champion in my age group.
“In order to have achieved this, I have had to remain extremely dedicated, getting up at 4am multiple mornings each week to train, since the age of 11.
“I train nine times a week in the pool, as well as three gym sessions, totalling over 20 hours of training per week.
“I’m aiming to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games and also the 2028 Olympics in LA.”
He has already represented Britain at the European Junior Open Water Championships in Corfu in 2023 and Scotland in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in the same year.
McCann enjoys long distances and ocean swimming, claiming gold in the men's 1500m (non-wetsuit) and bronze in the men's 5000m (wetsuit) in the Best Fest Open Water festival in 2024, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.
Now he's aiming to impress after being called up to the senior squad to fulfil his dream of competing in the Olympics.
Elinor Middlemiss MBE, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said: “I am absolutely delighted for the swimmers named in the Team Scotland squad for Glasgow this summer. There is a great mix of experienced athletes and Games first-timers, showing we have an extremely talented team and real strength in the squad.
“It’s also wonderful to see so many of our Youth Games team making the standard and having the opportunity to use that experience at a home Games. I wish everyone selected all the best in their preparations and look forward to seeing them in action in July.”
Topics: Sport, Olympics, Madeleine McCann
Daniel Murphy