Brazilian Surfer’s Historic Ride at the Olympics Spurs Iconic Photo
Former world champion Gabriel Medina stunned the surfing community on Monday with a breathtaking tube ride at the Olympics, earning a near-perfect score of 9.90. Medina, who appeared to self-score his ride with a confident “10” gesture, delivered the highest single-wave score in the short history of Olympic surfing.
The moment was captured in a striking photo by French action sports photographer Jerome Brouillet for Agence France-Presse. The image, showing Medina above the lip of the wave with his right hand raised, has quickly become iconic, illustrating the peak of his performance.
Brouillet described the shot as one where everything aligned perfectly—weather, wave conditions, lighting, and positioning on the media boat. “When all conditions are right, and you know how to use your camera, you can capture great surfing shots,” Brouillet told Time magazine. “It’s a mix of experience, timing, and a touch of luck.”
The choice of Teahupo’o in Tahiti as the venue for the Olympic surfing competition was a bold one due to the location’s notorious reputation for dangerous conditions, including sharp, shallow reefs. The break is known for its powerful, heavy waves, making it a challenging venue. Located nearly 10,000 miles from Paris, Teahupo’o is the most distant venue from the host city.
Medina reflected on his performance in more philosophical terms. “Today was a dreamy day for surfing,” he said, as the wave propelled him to the men’s quarterfinals. “I never imagined we could experience waves like this in the Olympics.”
Tuesday’s competition was postponed due to hazardous “code red” conditions, which are described as extremely dangerous and typically require jet-ski assistance. The surfing schedule, including the men’s and women’s quarterfinals and medal rounds, will be updated accordingly.
