Gabriel Medina has been immortalized in what’s arguably the most iconic photo in surfing history.
The Brazilian surfer came close to winning a medal this Sunday. But, whether or not he goes home empty-handed, he will be remembered for being featured in one of the most surprising images ever taken at the Olympics.
Medina set an Olympic record during Heat 5 of Sunday’s shortboard surfing event, registering a 9.90 on his second wave. This happened right after he ended up in a photo that you might not believe is real without seeing what happened in real-time.
Photographer Jerome Brouillet managed to catch Medina in midair, hovering above the water with his board at his back with a hand in the air.
Check it out below:
Gabriel Medina Had Outlets Waxing Lyrical
The photo has unsurprisingly garnered rave reviews.
“Gabriel Medina had to soar for the photog to capture one of the greatest Olympic photos I’ve ever seen. The video is even more poetic in slow-mo. Astounding shot by Jerome Brouillet,” the caption to the tweet below reads.
“This shot of Gabriel Medina is ABSOLUTELY UNREAL,” Bleacher Report declared.
“The picture of the 2024 Olympics?! Jerome Brouillet captured the moment Brazil’s Gabriel Medina reacted to surfing the one of the biggest waves of the day, scoring a historic 9.90, which is the highest single wave score in Olympic history,” Sky Sports wrote.
Gabriel Medina has already given fans one of the most memorable moments of the 2024 Olympic Games just three days in. Now, let’s see if he will go on to win a medal.
