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Gabriel Medina made Olympic surfing history on Monday.
It resulted in one of the most spectacular sports photos you’ll ever see.
The Brazilian surfer faced off against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi in the third round of the men’s surf competition in Teahupoʻo, Tahiti. The Olympic surf competition is taking place nearly 10,000 miles away from Paris off the coast of the South Pacific French Polynesian island.
In the fifth heat of the matchup, Medina caught a massive barrel, then triumphantly exited the wave. He leapt off his board above the wave with his arms extended, confident that he’d just secured a big score.
He was correct. Medina’s 9.90 was not only the highest score of the day, but the highest score in Olympic competition since the sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
The resulting photo somehow topped his ride.
Photographer Jerome Brouillet set himself up in the perfect spot to capture the moment while shooting the event for AFP and Getty Images. Without context, his photo needs to be explained to be believed.
In the image, Medina and his board appear to hover over the water in defiance of gravity. Medina is upright as if he’s standing on stable ground with his right hand outstretched giving a No. 1 sign. His board — tethered to his left ankle — is also upright on the same invisible plane as Medina.
Medina, of course, did not defy gravity. He simply had his celebration preserved in sensational fashion.
Next up for Medina, a quarterfinal matchup against fellow Brazilian João Chianca on Tuesday. The remaining field of eight men will be whittled down to the medal matchups, and an Olympic champion will be crowned by day’s end.
Brouillet’s Tuesday plans aren’t clear. But here’s guessing he’ll be back in action as well looking to secure another breathtaking photo.
