Kate, Gerry and Amelie McCann look on proudly as son Sean swims in Commonwealth Games nearly two decades after his sister Madeleine disappeared

Madeleine McCann’s brother is set to swim for a Commonwealth gold medal today, nearly two decades after his sister’s disappearance.

Sean McCann, 21, hit the pool in Glasgow this morning for the 400m freestyle heats in his first major competition.

He watched with pride as his parents, Kate and Gerry and twin sister Amelie, arrived early on Saturday morning to cheer on their son and the rest of the Scotland squad.

Sean was hoping to use the home crowd to progress to the final tonight ahead of his other events – the 800m and 1500m freestyle – later this week.

Almost two decades after the infamous family holiday to Portugal where Madeleine was kidnapped, the McCann family’s unimaginable tragedy continues to haunt Sean and his twin sister Amelie wherever they go.

But today, as their son’s remarkable story comes to the fore, the family might finally find themselves being talked about for a different reason.

Sean’s mum Kate has previously told how Sean ‘hated’ water when he first took him swimming; but he still quickly found his way, attending two-hour training sessions until nine every week, most of which required a 4am start.

Inspired by his athletic family (Kate and dad Gerry even went for a run on their first date), Sean’s determination paid off as he set his sights on success in his first major international meet.

Sean finished fourth in his heat and was applauded today by both his parents and his sister Amelie, who also regularly competes in triathlons.

The family sat with other Scottish fans supporting Sean at the Commonwealth Games.

Scotsman Sean McCann competes in the men’s 400m Freestyle heats at the swimming event at the Tollcross International Swimming Center in Glasgow

Scottish Sean McCann makes his final preparations before the race

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.

The elite distance swimmer was 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 is ‘really driven and never takes the easiest route’ and parents who want him has made him a powerhouse and his story an inspiration.

During his teenage years, Sean’s parents would take him to training sessions at Braunstone Leisure Centre, a 20-minute drive from the family home in Rothley, Leicestershire; Here Sean would attend eight or nine two-hour swim sessions a week, as well as two or three tough gym workouts.

An insider who coached Sean when he was young said Kate and Gerry encouraged their children but did not push them.

He recalled that the young man had set his sights on the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad in 2023 and then decided to compete for Scotland and Great Britain in open water races, so he changed his nationality to Scottish to swim competitively.

‘For the Commonwealth Games, I was lucky enough to be at the trials in London when he was competing. “It was great to watch and talk to him in between preparations and be a part of it and see his journey unfold,” he said.

And what a journey it has been for Sean, who is studying chemical engineering at Loughborough University, chosen for its unrivaled sports facilities.

Distance swimming is an unforgiving sport. However, those who know Sean’s career say that he has made steady and determined progress even during the pandemic quarantine, even outside the pool and training at home with Amelie, who is also a good swimmer.

21-year-old Sean McCann will compete in the 800 meter and 1500 meter races this week after finishing fourth in the 400 meter freestyle race.

McCann jumps off the starting block at the start of the warm-up at Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

Amelie, Kate and Gerry McCann clap as they watch the Glasgow Commonwealth Games program on Saturday morning

Amelie, Kate and Gerry McCann in the stands at Tollcross International Swimming Center in Glasgow ahead of Sean’s heat on Saturday morning

The family were in the stands early on Saturday to support Britain’s other swimmers before their son headed to the pool.

For almost two decades, Kate and Gerry McCann have been known as the parents of little Madeleine (below right), who disappeared during a family holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in May 2007 – now the family will be known for something else

She reached the finals of the 400m and 1500m freestyle at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games and has since qualified for the European Open Water Championships representing Great Britain.

Sean said he was ‘very excited’ about the challenges ahead this week. ‘This is actually the pinnacle of representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Games and especially in home matches.

‘I have lots of family in Glasgow, which makes it even more special. I was there as a kid in 2014, and doing it now, 12 years later, is truly a full circle moment.

‘This is my first cap, so I’m looking forward to representing Scotland and doing my best. I always tend to go out pretty slow and build my way into the race. That’s how I like to progress.’

This is quite different from what Sean was hitherto known to many only because of his proximity to Madeleine’s disappearance.

After all, he was in the same room when she was abducted from the family’s holiday home in Praia da Luz in 2007, when she was just two years old.

Although they don’t remember international influences, both siblings grew up in the shadow of the mystery surrounding their older sister, who is now 23.

For Sean, and by extension his entire family, this is an opportunity to step into the light of something new.