Madeleine McCann's younger brother Sean qualifies for 400m freestyle final at Commonwealth Games

Sean McCann, the 21-year-old younger brother of Madeleine McCann, qualified for the 400 m freestyle final on his Commonwealth Games debut for Scotland. McCann clocked 3:52.65 in his heat, placed fourth in a race won by Australia's Benjamin Goedemans (3:46.87), and advanced as the eighth fastest qualifier for the Saturday evening final at the Tollcross Swimming Centre in Glasgow. His parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, were in the crowd.

The race and reaction

McCann was given a loud ovation when introduced and said the noise carried him through the closing stages.

I'm buzzing. It wasn't really an expectation coming in, especially with how strong the field was, but I'm delighted to see I made it.

Northern Ireland's Daniel Wiffen, the Olympic 800 m freestyle champion, finished second in the same heat. McCann admitted to nerves beforehand but felt he delivered when it mattered.

I was definitely nervous, but I'm glad I produced a decent swim. The crowd was amazing, I could hear them the whole way through the race. They spurred me on to really give it my all down that last 100m.

Path to the Games

McCann grew up in England but represents Scotland through his father, Gerry. He started swimming at Charnwood Triathlon Club when he was eight and by 10 had joined the high-performance City of Leicester club. He has been part of the Scottish swimming programme since his teens and studies chemical engineering at Loughborough University, where he is coached by Andi Manley. The Commonwealth debut follows previous appearances at the Youth Commonwealth Games and the European Open Water Swimming Championships.

A home Games with family ties

McCann described the event as a full-circle moment, having attended the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as a spectator.

I was there in 2014 watching as a kid, so to make it now, 12 years later, is really a full-circle moment.

He also highlighted the significance of competing close to relatives.

I've got lots of family up in Glasgow so that makes it even more special.

Looking ahead

McCann is also entered in the 800 m and 1500 m freestyle events later in the programme. He views the Games as a stepping stone toward the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Olympics is always that step even further so to be able to represent Scotland here is a good stepping stone. Hopefully a couple of years of work will put my name in the mix.

A family in the spotlight

Sean and his twin sister, Amelie, were two years old when three-year-old Madeleine went missing during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007. The case remains one of the world's most prominent missing-person investigations, with the Metropolitan Police inquiry still active.