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Gabriel Medina made Olympic surfing history on Monday.
The result was one of the most spectacular sports photographs you will ever see.
The Brazilian surfer faced Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the third round of the men’s surfing competition in Teahupoʻo, Tahiti. The Olympic surfing competition takes place nearly 10,000 miles from Paris, off the coast of the French Polynesian island in the South Pacific.
In the fifth heat of the meet, Medina caught a huge barrel and then triumphantly rode off the wave. He jumped off his board over the wave with his arms outstretched, confident that he had just scored a big score.
He was right. 9.90 from Medina Not only was it the highest score of the day, but Highest score in Olympic competition since the sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
The resulting photo somehow outdid its journey.
Photographer Jerome Brouillet was in the perfect spot to capture the moment as he photographed the event for AFP and Getty Images. Without context, his photo needs an explanation to be believable.
In the image, Medina and his board appear to float above the water, defying gravity. Medina is standing upright as if he were standing on solid ground with his right hand extended in the sign of the number 1. His board, strapped to his left ankle, is also upright on the same invisible plane as Medina.
Medina, of course, didn’t defy gravity. She simply kept her celebration going in sensational style.
Medina’s next match will be Tuesday in the quarterfinals against fellow Brazilian Joao Chianca. The remaining eight men will come down to medal matches and an Olympic champion will be crowned at the end of the day.
Brouillet’s plans for Tuesday are unclear, but he is expected to be back in action for another impressive photo.