DORCHESTER’S Aaron Cook has been cleared to change nationality and compete for Moldova in time for next year's Rio Olympics.

Cook, 24, who was overlooked for the Great Britain taekwondo squad at London 2012, applied for citizenship earlier this month.

The Dorset-born ace received funding for this from Moldovan billionaire Igor Iuzefovici.

The switch to represent Moldova needed to be ratified by the British Olympic Association (BOA), but that approval came this morning.

A statement from the BOA said: “Following a request from taekwondo athlete Aaron Cook to change his sporting nationality from British to Moldovan, the British Olympic Association (BOA) today announced that Cook’s request has been approved.

“The Board of the British Olympic Association met on Monday, April 13 to discuss Aaron Cook’s request to change his sporting nationality.”

Cook, who fought for Team GB at Beijing 2008, felt he was overlooked for London 2012 because he decided to quit the British programme in 2011.

GB Taekwondo has always denied this, but Cook has refused to compete under the British flag since May 2012 and fought for the Isle of Man since early 2013.