Madeleine McCann's brother strikes swimming gold ahead of fresh search

Daily Mirror

3 days ago

Sean McCann, 20, and his sister are both high-achieving athletes, with Amelie taking up running and triathlons while he racks up wins in a series of swimming competitions
Madeleine McCann 's parents are helping their son realise his goal of becoming a gold medal Olympic athlete as investigators search for a trace of his missing sister. Madeleine, who went missing aged just three in 2007 while her family was on holiday in the Algarve, has two younger brothers who returned to the UK with Kate and Gerry McCann after her disappearance.
Another round of searches began this week, with Portuguese and German investigators combing through land in the municipality of Lagos, near Praia da Luz in search for a trace of the girl who would now be aged 22. But, back in Britain, elite swimmer Sean McCann is training for a possible shot at Olympic glory.
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Sean and his twin sister Amelie were just two years old when their sister disappeared 18 years ago. In the nearly two decades since she went missing, the 20-year-old has become a highly accomplished swimmer tipped to join Team GB in Los Angeles in 2028.
He was captured on camera with a gold medal around his neck earlier this year after competing in a Mediterranean open water swimming lesson.
He has racked up a series of other impressive achievements, with both he and his sister currently doing well in their studies at university.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Brian Kennedy, the pair's great-uncle, said Kate and Gerry have been very "pleased" with the twins' achievements.
Sean is studying chemical engineering, and has been swimming competitively for nearly a decade, revealing in 2023 that he has braved 4m starts to swim before school since he was 11. He added that he also visits the gym for intense training three times a week. He next plans to represent Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
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He recently wrote on a local website that he has been a high-flying swimmer for some time, having won "multiple county titles" after being selected to swim at City of Leicester.
He wrote: "At the age of ten, I was selected to swim at 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.
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In order to have achieved this, I have had to remain extremely dedicated, getting up at 4am multiple mornings each week to train."
Sean represented Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023, making it to the 400 and 1500m Freestyle finals.
He's also know to be a keen Open Water swimmer, and is part of the country's National Open Water Development Squad.
Meanwhile, Amelie has her own sporting achievements, having competed in a series of cross country and triathlon events while studying at a university in the north of England.