Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina's ‘incredible’ Olympic photo takes netizens by storm: ‘Absolutely unreal’
The photo shows Gabriel Medina, 30, seemingly defying gravity during the surfing competition at the 2024 Games in Tahiti.
A photo of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina has stunned netizens. The photo shows the Olympian, 30, seemingly defying gravity on Monday, July 28, during the surfing competition at the 2024 Games in Tahiti.
Medina posted a score of 9.90 during the competition against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi. The close-to-perfect score is the highest-scoring wave to have ever happened in the Games, CNN reported.
AFP photographer Jerome Brouillet clicked a photo of Medina in mid-air well above the water, and his board is seen at his side. “This shot of Gabriel Medina is ABSOLUTELY UNREAL,” X account Bleacher Report wrote on X, posting the photo.
Captivated social media users praised the shot in the comment section of the above post. “When people ask what Aura is just show them this photo,” one user wrote. “Best picture of his life I’m sure. This is so dope man,” one user wrote, while another said, “It must be the photographer's best shot of all time. What a photograph by Jerome Brouillet.”
“If it was me I would use this picture for the rest of my life,” one user wrote, while another said, “This photo is one of the best..Should be printed”. One user wrote, “That cameraman needs a raise. Incredible picture”. “Looks almost like he walks out of a portal in the air,” another said.
‘Felt amazing to get some good waves’
Brouillet said he was able to capture the perfect photo due to the “perfect” conditions. “The waves were taller than we expected,” the photographer told The Guardian.
“… It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave,” he added. Medina also shared the photo on Instagram.
“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. It was really in my dream and I’m realizing this today and I’m very happy to be a part of this,” Medina told olympics.com.
