Madeleine McCann's parents Kate and Gerry cheer on son Sean at Commonwealth Games


21-year-old student Sean McCann represented Scotland in swimming at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow


Kate and Gerry McCann supported their son Sean at the Commonwealth Games© Getty
Danielle Stacey
Danielle StaceyOnline Royal Correspondent - London
1 hour ago
Share this:

Madeleine McCann's parents cheered on their son, Sean, as he raced into the 400m freestyle final during his Commonwealth Games debut for Scotland.

Kate and Gerry McCann were pictured in the crowd to witness the 21-year-old Loughborough student finish fourth in the third of four qualifying heats at Tollcross International Swimming Centre with a time of 3:52:64.

Although Sean grew up in England, he qualifies to represent Scotland through his father, Gerry, who was born in Glasgow.

Gerry was clad in a blue Team Scotland top while Kate sported a T-shirt bearing the Games' anthem, Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, a song made famous by Baccara.

Kate and Gerry McCann in the crowd at Commonwealth Games© AFP via Getty Images
Kate and Gerry McCann cheered on their son

After qualifying for Saturday night's final, Sean said: “I'm delighted. It wasn't really an expectation coming into the championships, especially with how strong the field was, so to have made it is fantastic.

"I wouldn't say I felt pressure, but I was definitely nervous.

"There were so many people watching and I wanted to perform well, not just for myself but for Team Scotland as well. I'm glad I was able to produce a decent performance."

What happened to Madeleine McCann?

Sean and his twin sister Amelie were just two when their older sister, Madeleine, was abducted from a room where they were all sleeping during a holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on 3 May 2007.

Despite extensive searches, Madeleine has never been found.

Madeleine McCann went missing when she was three© Getty
Madeleine McCann went missing when she was three

Kate and Gerry share yearly updates on the Find Madeleine website, having marked the 19th anniversary of her disappearance in May.

They wrote: "19 years. The search goes on to find our Madeleine, to achieve some justice, to make the world that bit safer. We remain very grateful for all our support from friends and family, people we know and those we don't – and from the police and authorities for their continued determination and effort. Thank you. For Madeleine, who we love and miss every day, we will never give up."

What do Sean and Amelie do now?

Sean studies chemical engineering at Loughborough University, which is renowned for its sports provisions. He started swimming at an early age and was selected to swim at the City of Leicester club, with which he won multiple county titles and became national champion in his age group.

He previously represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Tobago in 2023, where he finished fifth in the 400m freestyle event.

Sean McCann swimming© Getty Images
Sean McCann has earned his place in the men's 500m freestyle final

Speaking about his love of swimming, Sean once wrote: "At the age of ten, I was selected to swim at the 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 4 am multiple mornings each week to train."

Meanwhile, Amelie has previously taken part in triathlon competitions at university level with the Durham University Triathlon Club.

More News
See more
Conversation

For more information on our conversation section, please read our Community Guidelines. Comments featured and views shared are not endorsed by HELLO!.