Sean McCann, the younger brother of Madeleine McCann, will make his debut at a major championships when he swims for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Saturday.
McCann, a 21-year-old Loughborough University student, is entered in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events. He qualified to compete for Scotland through his father, Gerry.
The 400m heats begin on Saturday morning at the Tollcross Swimming Centre. McCann is looking forward to representing Scotland and doing his best, as he told Loughborough University earlier this week.
"It's my first senior Games so I'm just looking forward to representing Scotland and doing my absolute best," McCann said. "It's the pinnacle really of representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, especially at a home Games."
McCann grew up in England but has been part of the Scottish Swimming programme since his teens. He balances his swimming with studying for a chemical engineering degree.
He finished third in the 800m freestyle and fourth in the 1500m at the British Championships earlier this year. McCann previously competed at the 2024 Championships, which doubled as Team GB's Olympic trials.
His progression to the senior Commonwealth Games comes after representing Scotland at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. There he finished fifth in the 400m freestyle and seventh in the 1,500m freestyle.
McCann also raced for Great Britain at the 2025 European Open Water Championships in Croatia. However, he will be swimming for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
Speaking about his expectations for Glasgow, McCann said: "I'm going in as more of an underdog. I don't feel like there's any pressure on me. I should be able to go in and perform at my best."
The Commonwealth Games will be a special moment for McCann, as he will be competing in front of family who live in Glasgow. He was there in 2014, watching as a kid, so to make it now, 12 years later, is a full-circle moment.
McCann's family's high-profile case has been ongoing for many years, but he is focusing on his swimming career. He is looking forward to a successful debut at the Commonwealth Games.
The 400m heats begin on Saturday morning at the Tollcross Swimming Centre. McCann will be competing in front of a home crowd, which could give him an added boost.
Source: BBC Sports