Stunning Photo of Olympic Surfer’s Soaring Mid-Air Celebration Goes Viral
The surfer shared the iconic image on his Instagram page, where it has garnered over 2 million likes.
An extraordinary photograph of a Brazilian surfer competing in the Olympics — showing him appearing to stand on air, his surfboard alongside him, high above the water — has gone viral.
Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina made headlines during the surfing competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Tahiti by achieving a remarkable feat. The 30-year-old Olympian earned a near-perfect score of 9.90 against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi, which CNN reported is the highest-scoring ride in the history of the Olympic Games.
At the end of his ride, Mr. Medina fired off the top of the wave into the air. That’s when Agence France-Press photographer Jerome Brouillet snapped the now-viral picture. The image was hailed as “one of the greatest Olympic shots” by Oakley on their X account, with another user calling it “epic.”
In an interview with the Guardian, Mr. Brouillet attributed the sensational shot to the “perfect” conditions, noting that the waves were taller than expected. He explained that taking the picture was about anticipating the moment and where Mr. Medina would kick off the wave.
Mr. Medina shared the iconic image on his Instagram page, where it has garnered over 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,” Mr. Medina told olympics.com, “It was really in my dream and I’m realizing this today and I’m very happy to be a part of this.”