Gary Hunt will now eye a place on the French team at Paris 2024 ©Getty Images

Gary Hunt, who won world gold with Britain last year in cliff diving, has set his sights on competing for the host nation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after switching his nationality to France.

The 36-year-old hopes to participate in the 10 metre diving event, having won 10 global titles in his 27m discipline.

His decision to change to France comes in part due to the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union - also known as Brexit - as well as the chance to compete for the nation he has called home for a decade.

Hunt moved to France in 2010 to work in diving entertainment shows and in the same year claimed the first of his eight Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series titles.

"It wasn't an easy decision," Hunt told BBC Sport.

"There are a lot of unknowns around Brexit and how difficult it's going to be travelling around with just a British passport, but France has also become my home.

"With the Olympics coming to Paris in 2024, it would be great to compete for the country I've lived in and with the team I've trained as part of for nearly a decade."

High diving has risen in popularity over the past decade ©Getty Images
High diving has risen in popularity over the past decade ©Getty Images

Hunt won his second International Swimming Federation (FINA) world title in July 2019 in what turned out to be his last major competition for Britain and has been cleared to compete for his new country.

He enjoyed a winning debut for France at the Crimea High Diving World Cup last weekend.

He has also said that it is too soon to switch for Tokyo 2020 due to the technical differences in cliff diving and platform diving.

Cliff divers land feet first into the water, while indoor divers land head first.

FINA stated in July that it was keen on seeing the introduction of high diving to the Paris 2024 Olympic programme and is reportedly continuing to lobby for its inclusion.