Brazilian surfing star Gabriel Medina has become one of the most talked-about athletes at the Paris Olympics, thanks to an extraordinary photo captured during the men’s surfing event in Tahiti. Medina, a three-time world champion, nailed a record-breaking 9.90 move that AFP photographer Jerome Brouillet captured mid-air. This image has been praised as one of the best photos of this Olympics by numerous media outlets.
The Teahupo’o venue in Tahiti, famous for its massive waves and stunning views, was the setting for this incredible moment. In the third round, Medina’s perfect maneuver landed him in the quarterfinals. As he exited the wave, he jumped and flashed a number one sign, his surfboard perfectly positioned beside him. The gravity-defying image quickly went viral.
Brouillet, an AFP photographer and avid surfer, was on a boat with six other photographers when he took the shot. “The waves were bigger than expected, and Medina suddenly appeared. I clicked the shutter four times, and this was one of the shots,” he explained. Despite the photo’s worldwide acclaim and some skepticism about its authenticity, Brouillet modestly said, “Capturing such a photo is all about timing. It’s a good shot, but it will be forgotten soon.”
Morgan Maassen, another photographer for the Paris Olympics, also captured the moment from different angles and praised Medina’s performance, describing it as “a masterpiece created by Medina and Mother Earth.”
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