Sean McCann, younger brother of Madeleine McCann, has been selected to represent Scotland in swimming at the Commonwealth Games starting tomorrow in Glasgow. The 21-year-old distance freestyle specialist is expected to compete in several longer-distance events, including the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle races, at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Sean McCann qualifies to represent Scotland through his father, Gerry McCann, who was born in Glasgow. Now a student of chemical engineering at Loughborough University, Sean has been involved in competitive swimming since the age of eight. He first joined Loughborough Town swimming club and later represented City of Leicester, winning multiple county and regional titles throughout his swimming career. He also competed for Scotland at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, where he finished fifth in the 400m freestyle and seventh in the 1500m freestyle.
In addition to pool events, McCann is a keen open water swimmer and is part of the national open water development squad. He has qualified for the 2025 European Open Water Championships. His twin sister, Amelie, is also a high-level swimmer and triathlete.
Sean has shared insights into his rigorous training regime, which includes up to nine pool sessions and three gym workouts weekly, totaling more than 20 hours of training. Since the age of 11, he has often risen at 4 a.m. for training sessions, demonstrating a high level of dedication to his sport. On social media and through interviews, McCann has noted that although he initially disliked swimming, it eventually grew on him and became a central part of his life.
Sean McCann has expressed ambitions beyond the Commonwealth Games, aiming to qualify for the Great Britain team for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The McCann family remains publicly involved in their daughter Madeleine’s ongoing disappearance investigation. Madeleine went missing in 2007 during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, shortly before her fourth birthday. Her disappearance remains one of the most widely reported and investigated missing person cases internationally and continues to receive significant media attention. The Metropolitan Police have maintained an active investigation since 2011.
In recent years, the family has voiced concerns about media portrayals, including criticism of a true-crime drama made without their consultation, citing potential negative impacts. Additionally, in 2025 a woman falsely claiming to be Madeleine was convicted of harassing the McCann family. DNA testing confirmed that this individual was not related to the McCanns.
It is not known whether Sean’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, will attend the Games to support him in person. The event runs until August 2, offering Sean an opportunity to showcase his talent on a significant international stage.