Sawt Falasteen - Madeleine McCann's brother targets Olympic dream after Commonwealth final

The tragic loss of his sister meant the spotlight was on McCann, 21, at his first major international event representing Scotland.

He was just two years old when Madeleine disappeared shortly before her fourth birthday during a holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2007.

Despite extensive searches, she has never been found.

Cheered on by his parents McCann reached the final but finished last as Sam Short led home an Australian 1-2-3.

"The Olympics is always the ultimate goal," said McCann. "Being able to represent Scotland here is a really important stepping stone towards that. Hopefully, with a couple more years of hard work, I can put my name in the mix."

Although he grew up in England, he qualifies to represent Scotland through his Glasgow-born father.

Parents Gerry, clad in a blue Team Scotland top, and Kate, who wore a t-shirt bearing the Games' anthem 'Yes Sir, I can Boogie', were in the stands to cheer on their son.

After making the final, McCann 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."

The 21-year-old, who studies chemical engineering at Loughborough University, previously represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Tobago in 2023, where he finished fifth in the 400m freestyle event.

X.Habash--SF-PST