An image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina seemingly soaring above the ocean has quickly become one of the most talked-about visuals of the Paris Olympics.
The photograph depicts Medina upright several feet above the water while celebrating during the fifth heat of the men’s surfing event at Teahupo’o in Tahiti.
Medina achieved a score of 9.90, setting a new Olympic surfing record for the highest single-wave score since surfing became an official sport at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Gabriel Medina celebrates during the 5th heat of the men’s surfing round 3 at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 29, 2024. (Jerome Brouillet/AFP)
The remarkable moment occurred on Monday in the fifth heat as Medina competed against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi, who defeated him at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
In his second run of the heat, Medina navigated through the barrel and leaped over the back of the wave, raising his finger in celebration as the picture was captured.
“It felt incredible to catch some great waves, and I was really close to a perfect score, so I’m thrilled. Competing in waves like these at the Olympics is a dream come true for me,” Medina expressed to Olympics.com.
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NBC Sports commentators believe Medina is a strong contender for the gold medal, though he has two rounds left to compete.
The stunning shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jerome Brouillet.
Gabriel Medina of Team Brazil navigates a wave during round three of surfing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 29, 2024. (Ed Sloane/Getty Images)
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“Capturing the photo wasn’t difficult; it was more about predicting the moment and determining where Gabriel would launch from the wave,” Brouillet stated to BBC. “He must have recognized he was in for one of the largest waves of the day when he surged from the water like, ‘Wow, I think this is a 10.’”
Since being published, the image has swiftly emerged as one of the most shared photos of the Paris Olympics across social media platforms, despite being over 10,000 miles from Paris.
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