Kate McCann, wearing a white t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Yes Sir, I can boogie,” sat in the stands at Tollcross International Swimming Centre on Saturday morning, cheering on her son Sean as he swam for Scotland in the men’s 400 metres freestyle heats. Beside her, Gerry McCann, clad in a blue Team Scotland top, and Amelie, the twin sister of the 21-year-old swimmer, watched as Sean powered through the water in lane two.
Sean, a Loughborough University chemical engineering student, finished fourth in the third of four heats with a time of 3:52.64 – just enough to squeeze him into the eight-man final in eighth position overall. “I’m delighted,” he said. “It wasn’t really an expectation coming into the Championships, especially with how strong the field was, so to have made it is fantastic.”
“Sean McCann qualifies for 400m freestyle final at Commonwealth Games, cheered by parents Kate and Gerry.”
He was 1.07 seconds ahead of Scottish teammate Luke Hornsey in the final standings. The final will take place on Saturday evening.
The swimmer was two years old when his elder sister Madeleine disappeared from the family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. The three-year-old’s disappearance prompted a worldwide manhunt that remains unresolved. Sean and Amelie, now both 21, were asleep in their beds at the time.
Sean began competitive swimming at age eight, winning multiple county titles and a national championship with City of Leicester club. He previously represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Tobago in 2023, finishing fifth in the 400m freestyle. He has also raced for Great Britain at the European Open Water Championships. Speaking about his expectations for Glasgow, he said: “I’m going in as more of an underdog. I don’t feel like there’s any pressure on me.”
He qualifies for Scotland through his father Gerry, who was born in Glasgow. Amelie, meanwhile, is a promising Scottish triathlete.
After the heat, Sean admitted to nerves. “I wouldn’t say I felt pressure, but I was definitely nervous,” he said. “There were so many people watching and I wanted to perform well, not just for myself but for Team Scotland as well.”
He hopes his Commonwealth Games debut will be a stepping stone towards the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. “The Olympics is always the ultimate goal,” he said. “Hopefully, with a couple more years of hard work, I can put my name in the mix.”
Later in the Games, McCann is expected to compete in the men’s 800m and 1500m freestyle events.