The Paris Olympics have only been underway for a few days, but already there are standout moments. One of the most unforgettable is from the men’s surfing event in Tahiti. Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina, a three-time world champion, pulled off a record-breaking 9.90 score move, captured mid-air by AFP photographer Jerome Brouillet. This stunning shot has been hailed by multiple media outlets as the best photo of this Olympics.

The Teahupo’o waves in Tahiti are known for their massive size and beautiful scenery. During the third round of the men’s surfing competition, Medina executed a perfect maneuver that launched him into the quarterfinals. As he exited the wave barrel, he jumped and made a number one gesture, with his surfboard perfectly aligned beside him, creating a gravity-defying image that went viral.

Jerome Brouillet, an AFP photographer and surfing enthusiast, was on a boat with six other photographers when he captured the shot. He said, “The waves were higher than expected, and suddenly, Medina appeared from the wave. I pressed the shutter four times, and this photo was one of them.” Despite the global frenzy and some skeptics doubting the photo’s authenticity, Brouillet humbly remarked, “Yes, this kind of photo is easy to take! Just catch the right moment and predict his appearance. It’s a good photo, but I believe my fellow photographers will forget it by next week.”

Morgan Maassen, another photographer for the Paris Olympics website, also captured this iconic moment from different angles and praised Medina’s performance in his article, calling it “a masterpiece created by Medina and Mother Earth.”

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