A photo of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina captivated the internet after the 30-year-old Olympic athlete appeared to defy gravity during the surfing competition on Monday (29) at the 2024 Games in Tahiti.
While competing against Japanese surfer Kanoa Igarashi, Medina posted an almost perfect score of 9.90 — the highest wave score in the history of the Games, according to CNN.
As Medina celebrated, AFP photographer Jerome Brouillet captured the surfer in mid-air with his board beside him, well above the water.
For Brouillet, he managed to capture the sensational photo due to the “perfect” conditions.
“The waves were higher than we expected,” said the Agence France-Presse photographer in an interview with The Guardian.
“… It wasn’t difficult to take the photo. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel would kick off on the wave.”
Since then, Medina has shared the image on his own Instagram page, which has already amassed over 2 million likes.
“It was amazing to catch some good waves and I almost got a 10, so I was really happy about that. It’s really a dream come true to compete in waves like this for the Olympics. I was really in my dream and I’m realizing it today and I’m very happy to be a part of it,” 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 João Chianca in the quarter-finals.
Source: The Guardian and The New York Post