Insane Olympic surfing photo stuns fans
Talk about a medal-worthy moment.
A photo of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina has captivated the internet after the 30-year-old Olympian appeared to defy gravity during the surfing competition Monday at the 2024 Games in Tahiti.
While competing against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi, Medina posted a close-to-perfect score of 9.90 — which is the highest-scoring wave in the history of the Games, according to CNN.
As Medina celebrated, AFP photographer Jerome Brouillet caught the surfer in mid-air with his board at his side, well above the water.
“One of the greatest Olympic shots!” Oakley’s X account exclaimed Tuesday morning.
“That’s epic,” a separate X user proclaimed.
For Brouillet, he was able to capture the sensational shot due to the “perfect” conditions.
“The waves were taller than we expected,” the Agence France-Presse photographer said in an interview with The Guardian.
“… It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave.”
Medina has since shared the image on his own Instagram page, which has amassed more than 2 million likes.
“Felt amazing to get some good waves and I almost got a 10, so I was really happy with that. It’s really a dream come true to compete in waves like this for the Olympics. It was really in my dream and I’m realizing this today and I’m very happy to be a part of this,” Medina told olympics.com.
The three-time world champion is seeking his first Olympic medal after failing to medal in Tokyo.He will face fellow Brazilian Joao Chianca in the quarterfinals.
