The 23-year-old injured an ankle in training last month, meaning she was unable to defend her all-around title at the recent National Championships.

Tweddle, who became the first British gymnast to win a world title when she took gold on the asymmetric bars in Denmark in 2006, will shoulder most of the British team's medal hopes as part of a six-strong party travelling to Beijing.

And the Cheshire gymnast, who missed the Commonwealth Games two years ago due to injury, was quick to allay fears she would face a bigger disappointment next month.

"The ankle's getting there," she said.

"Obviously the doctors and physios are keeping a close eye on me and my personal coach is just making sure everything is staying in place.

"I haven't changed my training preparation since I've come here, I've just kept with what I was doing at home. I'm happy with how it's progressing and hopefully I'll be fully fit."

Tweddle believes a gold medal for women's gymnastics at the Beijing Olympics would revolutionise the sport in Britain.

The South Africa-born City of Liverpool gymnast has proved a trailblazer throughout her career, becoming the first British female gymnast to claim a medal at the European Championships six years ago and the country's first world champion two years ago.

She also won gold in the all-around competition at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.

Tweddle heads a six-strong women's squad that will compete in Beijing and while gold in either the team event or individual competition may seem unlikely, she is in no doubt the impact such an unexpected success would have.

"I think a gold would dramatically change the sport," she said.

"I mean just from the results I've had, a lot of people have said they've had kids coming up to them and saying I want to be like Beth and joining clubs.

"Hopefully, kids would get more involved with the sport. They do it at school level but it's taking it from the school level to the elite level."

Tweddle, however, has fitness concerns ahead of Beijing after her training yesterday was hampered by a rib problem.

That was described as "minor but unsettling" by coach Adrian Stan and comes after a frustrating year with an ankle injury.

* The Iraqi government and the International Olympic Committee have reached an agreement which paves the way for the country's athletes to participate at the Beijing Games.

The IOC and the Iraqi government met at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne and agreed on a series of steps that will lead to a fully functioning, independent National Olympic Committee in Iraq.