The image of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina and his board seemingly floating in mid-air, his index finger pointed up toward the sky, has captured the attention and wonder of the world.
And the photo doesn’t even show Medina conquering the unruly, death-defying, massive waves, where the Olympic surfers competed for the third day on Monday, July 29.
So what’s the story behind the already-iconic image that has gone viral and may very well become the photo that defines this year’s Summer Games?
Medina is one of 48 surfers competing as part of the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the surf action is happening some 10,000 miles away in Tahiti, at a monstrous wave called Teahupo’o.
The image was taken on day three of the contest and the field of competitors was quickly whittling down. was knocked out of the event, as was fellow Team USA surfer John John Florence.
Medina was matched up in the round 3 heat against Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi, surfing for Team Japan and silver medalist from 2020 Tokyo at surfing’s debut in the Olympic games.
Unfortunately for Igarashi, he was up against the three-time world champion who has one of the winningest records at this barreling surf break.
The swell was building through the day, and thick waves upward 15-foot were challenging even the best surfers in the world as they faced the steep, watery ledge that pitches onto razor-sharp, shallow reef, the girthy curl threatening to smash the surfers.
But back to
The brazen Brazilian dropped deep into the barrel, disappearing behind the curtain, expertly navigating the “foam ball” of fury that spit out of the wave’s cavern, making it out with both his hands held up high, waving “10” with his fingers – a sign to the judges of the score he was hoping for, the highest possible for a single wave.
It was one for the history books, the gigantic wave and his expert wave riding earning Medina the highest single-wave score in Olympic history, a 9.90 – not quite the 10 he hoped for, but close.
But it wasn’t the shots of him riding the wave that caught the attention of the world.
As Medina kicked out of the wave, his body and surfboard launched into the sky, hovering for just a split second – enough time for Medina to stick his index finger up to the sky and for the photographer Jerome Broulliet to snap a shot shared around the world.
So what did the finger mean? Was Medina telling the world he’s No. 1? A premonition that the Brazilians will come in No. 1 spot at the Olympic games to win gold?
Medina, who is devoutly religious, had a faith-based message to share as he pointed toward the sky, the photo capturing his relaxed body floating above the saltwater in the air in a seemingly mystical image.
“I can do everything through him who strengthens,” Medina wrote on social media under the unbelievable shot shared around the world.
