Sean McCann qualified for the 400m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday, finishing fourth in his heat to creep in as the eighth and final qualifier. His parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were in the stands at the Tollcross Swimming Centre to watch.
"I am buzzing," the 21-year-old said. "It wasn't really an expectation coming in given how strong the field was but delighted to see I have made it."
McCann is the younger brother of Madeleine McCann, who went missing at age three during a family holiday in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. McCann and his twin sister were two years old at the time. The case became one of the world's most high-profile missing-person cases and remains an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation. His twin sister was also in the crowd in Glasgow on Saturday, according to BBC Sport.
A chemical engineering student at Loughborough University, McCann qualifies for Scotland through his father. He grew up in England. The home crowd at Tollcross was loud throughout his heat.
"I could hear them the whole way through the race," he said. "It just spurred me on to just give it my all down that last 100m. I wouldn't say I was nervous but I certainly felt the pressure with so many people watching. I wanted to do well not only for myself but for Team Scotland as well."
The final, scheduled for 19:07 BST Saturday evening, features a strong field. Australia's 2023 world champion Sam Short qualified fastest. Northern Ireland's 800m Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen is also in the field, along with defending champion Elijah Winnington, England's James Guy, and Northern Ireland's Jack McMillan.
This is McCann's first major championships at the senior level. He previously competed at the 2024 Championships, which also served as Team GB's Olympic trials. Earlier this year he finished third in the 800m freestyle and fourth in the 1500m at the British Championships. He will also compete in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events later in the meet in Glasgow.
His path to this point has included representing Scotland at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, where he finished fifth in the 400m freestyle and seventh in the 1500m. He also raced for Great Britain at the 2025 European Open Water Championships in Croatia.
The Olympics remains his stated long-term goal.
"The Olympics is always that step even further," he said. "Being able to represent Scotland is a good stepping stone on the way to that. Hopefully a couple more years work I will be in the mix for the Olympics."
