Sean McCann picked for Scotland’s swimming squad at Glasgow 2026

Sean McCann, the younger brother of Madeleine McCann, has been named to Scotland’s swimming team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Loughborough University student is expected to contest longer-distance freestyle races when events begin at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre on Thursday, and he hopes a strong showing will bolster his bid for Team Great Britain ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

McCann qualifies to race for Scotland through his father, Gerry, who was born in Glasgow. The selection marks his entry onto the Commonwealth stage and comes as he continues his studies at Loughborough. Madeleine’s disappearance in 2007 remains under police investigation. The Glasgow programme will provide McCann with international exposure in front of a home crowd.

Coaches and selectors have indicated McCann will be entered in several of the longer-distance freestyle events, where his endurance has been the focus of recent training at university. Competition at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre opens on Thursday, with sessions across multiple days covering heats, semifinals and finals. McCann’s schedule in Glasgow will centre on the distances that offer the best pathway toward national selection for Olympic consideration.

Representing Scotland is possible for McCann because of his paternal links to Glasgow, the place of his father Gerry’s birth. That eligibility allowed selectors to include him on Scotland’s roster for the Commonwealth Games, creating a platform to measure his progress against high-level Commonwealth opposition. The meet is being watched closely by those involved in Team Great Britain planning for Los Angeles 2028.

As a student-athlete at Loughborough University, McCann has balanced academic commitments with an intensive training programme aimed at improving his times over the longer freestyle events. The Glasgow appearance will be one of his most prominent senior international assignments to date and an opportunity to demonstrate readiness for multi-nation championships. Performance in the Tollcross pool will factor into future selection discussions for British squads.

McCann has said he hopes to convert the experience in Glasgow into momentum for the next stage of his career, aiming for Olympic selection. His results in Scotland will provide a concrete indicator of where he stands among his peers as the road to Los Angeles 2028 continues.