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.
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.
© GettyKate 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.”
April 28, 2007: McCann family arrives in Praia da Luz, Portugal.
May 3, 2007: Madeleine, 3, goes missing from apartment 5A.
Sep 7, 2007: Kate and Gerry McCann named formal suspects.
July 21, 2008: Portuguese police close the case due to lack of evidence.
May 2011: UK’s Operation Grange is launched to review the case.
October 24, 2013: Portuguese authorities reopen their investigation.
June 3, 2020: German police identify Christian Brückner as a suspect.
April 21, 2022: Brückner formally declared a suspect in Portugal.
May 2023: New searches conducted at Arade Dam in Portugal.
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.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking 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.
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