The family of Madeleine McCann cheered on her younger brother Sean as he finished eighth in the final of the Commonwealth Games 400m men’s freestyle.
After a seven-hour wait in the East End of Glasgow, they returned for the biggest race of Sean’s young career after he qualified through the morning heats.
His parents Kate and Gerry and twin sister Amelie watched proudly as they cheered on the 21-year-old and waved Saltire flags in the stands.
Sean finished in a time of three minutes 53.47 seconds – 12 seconds slower than his morning swim.
Kate donned a shirt emblazoned with the song title ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ – the song adopted by Scottish football fans.
Australia claimed gold, silver and bronze in the final, which Sean himself admitted he did not expect to qualify for.
But British eyes were on Sean, almost two decades on from the infamous Portugal family holiday which saw Madeleine abducted. The McCann family’s unimaginable tragedy still haunts him and Amelie, wherever they go.
Madeleine McCann’s brother Sean finished eighth in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games
The 21-year-old had done exceptionally well to reach the final at his first major tournament
Parents Kate and Gerry and sister Amelie in the stands cheering on Sean at today’s Commonwealth Games 400m freestyle final
The family sat with other Scottish fans in the stands and waved Saltire flags
He is the younger brother of missing Madeleine McCann and was in the room when she was abducted from her family’s holiday villa in Portugal in 2007
But today, the family finally saw themselves talked about for a different reason as their son’s remarkable story took centre-stage.
Sean’s mother Kate has previously told how he ‘hated’ the water when he was first taken swimming – and yet he soon found his drive, attending up to nine two-hour training sessions every week, many requiring 4am starts.
Inspired by his sporting family – Kate and Gerry even went on a run on their first date – Sean’s dedication has paid off as he sets his sights on success in his first major international meet.
Sean came fourth in his heat and was cheered on today by both parents, as well as Amelie, who herself competes regularly in triathlons.
The elite distance swimmer is eligible to represent Scotland through his father, who was born in Glasgow.
This week a former member of Sean’s coaching team told the Daily Mail that the combination of a young man who was ‘really driven and never one to take the easiest route’, and parents who willed him on, had made him a powerhouse and his story an inspiration.
In his teenage years Sean’s parents would ferry him to training sessions at Braunstone Leisure Centre, a 20-minute drive from the family home in Rothley, Leicestershire, where he would clock up an impressive amount of swim sessions a week, plus two or three punishing gym workouts.
For almost two decades Kate and Gerry McCann have been known as the parents of Madeleine (bottom right), the toddler who disappeared on a family holiday to Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 – now the family will be known for something else
Amelie, Kate and Gerry McCann applaud as they watch the programme at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games on Saturday morning
Sean seen at the start of the final, which was dominated by his Australian competitors
Kate and Gerry ‘encouraged their children, but didn’t push them’ said the insider, who coached Sean as a youngster.
He remembered the young man being focused on the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad in 2023 and then deciding he wanted to race for Scotland and for GB in open-water events – so for swimming competitively he changed his nationality to Scottish.
‘For the Commonwealth Games, I was lucky enough to be at the trials in London when he was racing. It was great to watch him and talk to him between prep, to be a part of it and see his journey unfold,’ he said.
What a journey, too, for Sean, who is studying chemical engineering at Loughborough University – chosen for its unrivalled sports facilities.
Distance swimming is an unforgiving sport. Yet those who know Sean’s career describe a steady, determined progression, even during the Covid-19 lockdown when he would train out of the pool at home with Amelie, who is also a keen swimmer.
In the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, he reached the finals of the 400m and 1,500m freestyle, and has since qualified for the European Open Water Championships representing Great Britain.
Sean himself said this week that he was ‘very excited’ about the challenges ahead. ‘It’s the pinnacle really – of representing Scotland in the Commonwealth Games, and especially at a home games.
‘I’ve got lots of family up in Glasgow so that makes it even more special. I was there in 2014 watching as a kid, so to make it now, 12 years later, is really a full circle moment.
Amelie, Kate and Gerry McCann in the stands at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow ahead of Sean’s heat on Saturday morning
‘It’s my first senior games, so I’m just looking forward to be representing Scotland and doing my absolute best. I always tend to go out quite slow and build my way into a race. That’s just how I like to pace it.’
It’s quite the change from what Sean has been known for by many until now, solely for his close proximity to Madeleine’s disappearance.
He was, after all, in the same room when she was abducted from the family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007 when he was just two.
Although he might not remember the international fallout, both siblings have grown up in the shadow of the mystery surrounding their older sister, who would now be 23.
The McCann parents have repeatedly spoken of their determination to ensure that Sean and Amelie could grow up with the most normal childhood possible.
‘Our worry is for our children,’ Kate said in 2017. ‘I think we’ve tried to educate them a little bit as well because obviously it’s not just us that has fallen victim to the downside of social media.
‘At some point you’ve got to realise that time is not frozen and I think both of us realise that we owed it to the twins to make sure that their life is as fulfilling as they deserve, and we have certainly tried our best to achieve that.’
Gerry also spoke about developing their independence. ‘I am certainly more protective than I was, but you can’t mollycoddle them,’ he said. ‘They have to be independent. There is increased anxiety but we can’t let that impact on them having a normal upbringing. Sean and Amelie are doing really really well; obviously they are not immune to the media, they hear things, they go to school, they hear the radio.’
For Sean, and by extension his whole family, this is his opportunity to step into the light of something new. The young swimmer is only just getting started – he has the 800m and 1,500m freestyle to follow.
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