Aldama, who claimed a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships in Seville, turns 39 on Friday (August 12) will become the oldest track and field athlete to make a debut for Britain at the event in South Korea.

Aldama represented Cuba at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where she finished in fourth place, and a year later married Scottish television producer Andrew Dodds and relocated to the UK, although her new husband was jailed for drug trafficking in 2003.

She expressed her desire to compete for Britain but was unable to obtain a British passport in time for the Athens 2004 Games and instead opted to accept Sudanese citizenship, finishing fifth for the country in Greece.

Aldama finally obtained a British passport in 2010 and became eligible for selection for UK Athletics only last Thursday (August 4) when the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) granted her request to switch nationality.

The selection panel has wasted little time in selecting her for the World Championships with UK Athletics Head Coach Charles van Commenee (pictured right) defending the move.

"UK Athletics had no involvement in the process of her becoming eligible for Britain," said van Commenee.

"She made the claim herself to the IAAF and the first we knew of it was last week.

"It's not as if this girl dropped out of the sky, she has always been part of British athletics in a way."

Van Commenee also defended picking Aldama when she will soon be in her 40th year.

"Age is not a factor when it comes to selection," van Commenee insisted.

"I think she is definitely capable of making it to the final."

Aldama joins two others in the chosen team who have become eligible for Britain this year: long jumper Shara Proctor, who comes from the British overseas territory of Anguilla, and hurdler Tiffany Porter, who has Anglo-American dual nationality.

Among the more recognisable names in the team are men's triple jump star Phillips Idowu and female heptathlete Jessica Ennis who will both be looking to defend the world titles they won in Berlin two years ago.

Strongly tipped gold medal hopes Mo Farah and Dai Greene will also board the plane to Asia along with 2009 World Championship 1500 metres silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey and 800m bronze medallist Jenny Meadows.

Christian Malcolm, the 200m runner, will captain the side while Dwain Chambers will lead the British charge in the 100m sprint although he will be banned from the London 2012 Olympics next year because of his drugs ban back in 2003.

Van Commenee set his target for the team at seven medals, one more than they won in Berlin two years ago.

"I am looking to see an improvement from two years ago in Berlin, where we recorded six medals and 20 top eight finishes," he said.

"It is important to remember there is work to do before London 2012 and Daegu is another stop on the journey to make our athletes run faster, jump higher and throw further.

"The aim in Daegu is to get more athletes within touching distance of the podium and these World Championships are ideal preparation for what the athletes will encounter next summer and beyond."

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