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This Photo of Surfer Gabriel Medina at the 2024 Olympics Is Simply Insane
Surfer Gabriel Medina seemed to defy gravity in the breathtaking image captured by photographer Jérôme Brouillet.
If there’s one image that perfectly captures the pure magic and beauty of the Olympic Games, it’s the breathtaking shot of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina taken Monday, July 29 during the men’s surfing competition.
In the now-viral image, which seems to defy the laws of physics, Medina looks as though he’s floating above the water in Tahiti—where the surfing portion of the 2024 Paris Olympics is being held—pointing to the sky as his surfboard mirrors his upright stance.
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The stunning photograph, taken by Agence France Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, is so unbelievable some questioned whether it had been edited or the work of artificial intelligence (AI), but Brouillet credited the “perfect” conditions, being at the right place at the right time and relying on his photographic instincts to do the rest.
“So he [Medina] is at the back of the wave and I can’t see him and then he pops up and I took four pictures and one of them was this one,” Brouillet told The Guardian of the jaw-dropping moment. “It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave.”
Who is Gabriel Medina?
Medina has been making waves in the surfing community for more than a decade, claiming his first world championship title in 2014, according to NBCOlympics.com.
The Brazil native went on to win two more titles, in 2018 and then again in 2021, before narrowly missing out on a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He finished fourth in the competition after losing to Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the semifinal round.
The two men were battling it out again Monday during round three of the Olympic men’s surfing competition at Teahupo’o in Tahiti.
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Medina caught his second run, according to TODAY, when a giant wave set up a near perfect run. When Medina emerged from the barrel and soared into the air, lifting his finger to the sky, Brouillet, riding in a nearby media boat, snapped the now viral image.
The impressive run earned Medina a score of 9.9 and helped him overtake Igarashi with a final score for the heat of 17.40, compared to Igarashi’s 7.04.
Medina will now advance to the next round along with seven other athletes, including Jack Robinson, Alonso Correa, Inaba Reo, Kauli Vaast, Joan Duru, Joao Chianca and Ethan Ewing.
What Did Jérôme Brouillet Say About His Viral Surfing Photo?
Brouillet, a surfer himself, didn’t even realize he’d captured the breathtaking moment until the image already began making the rounds on social media. His photos are automatically sent to his editors, one of whom quickly noticed the impressive shot and shared it online.
“I was just checking my phone on the six-minute break after the shoot and I had lots of notifications on social media and I thought something is happening with this shot and it was shared on ESPN and I thought: ‘cool’,” he told The Guardian, admitting he was “a little bit shocked” by the reaction its received.
“It’s very cool, it’s a nice shot and lots of people love it,” he added. “It’s not really a surf photograph so it captures the attention of more people.”
As for how he was able to capture the perfect moment, Brouillet elaborated in an interview with Time that he had all the right conditions, from the weather to the waves, lighting and boat’s position at the time of the shot.
“All the rest is experience, timing, and a bit of luck!,” he said. “This differentiates a good shot from a great shot.”
Brouillet has been living in Tahiti for the last 10 years and has shared even more stunning images of his work on Instagram.
