Yamile Aldama, 39, Team GB
Triple jump
Having fought against her ‘Plastic Brit’ label, Yamile Aldama clearly enjoyed the sound of the home crowd getting behind her in the triple jump final. The Cuban-born athlete received her British passport just two years ago, despite having lived here for 11 years. At 39, it’s been a long struggle to get to this point, but her dedication to athletics has never wavered.
In her career she’s represented three
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more Yamile Aldama, 39, Team GB
Triple jump
Having fought against her ‘Plastic Brit’ label, Yamile Aldama clearly enjoyed the sound of the home crowd getting behind her in the triple jump final. The Cuban-born athlete received her British passport just two years ago, despite having lived here for 11 years. At 39, it’s been a long struggle to get to this point, but her dedication to athletics has never wavered. In her career she’s represented three countries - Cuba, Sudan and Great Britain – and her personal life has been even more complicated.
Yamile moved to the UK when she married Scot Andrew Dodds. He failed to tell her of his criminal past and after two years of marriage he was jailed for 15 years over a £40m heroin smuggling case. He left Yamile a single mum with limited English alone in London.
She persevered with her training and at 31 was the world number one, without a country to represent. Her turning point came when Dodds was released early from prison, they had another child and in 2010 she became a British citizen.
Team GB took her into the fold and she finished fifth in the triple jump in London. It was the first competition her Cuban mother was able to watch her in, proving that this year’s Games isn’t just about medals. less
