It was while coming off a “perfect” wave that Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina stepped off his board and hung in the air, his right arm raised and his index finger pointing skyward.

Celebrated after surfing one of the biggest waves of the day, at the Olympics in Paris 2024 On Teahupo'o Beach in Tahiti, earning it a record score of 9.9.

AFP photographer Jerome Brouillette I was paying attention. He had Medina in his sights and when he saw it hanging in the air he activated the shutter of his camera and from that moment he suspected that there would be something special.

Your picture has become One of the most famous Olympic Games Some even consider it one of the best sports photos ever.

“All the photographers were waiting for that moment,” Brouillet said. “You know Gabriel Medina, especially in Teahupoo, is going to come out and do something.”

“You know something is going to happen. The only tricky moment is knowing where to take the shot. Sometimes he does stunts… and this time he did, so I pressed the button,” he says emotionally!

The image achieved by Brouillet not only shows the city in its acrobatic celebration, but also shows his painting in the air, as if floating above the sea, making it even more spectacular.

The Frenchman was certain he had captured something special. Like all other photographers, he was Mounted on a boat where the movement of the sea requires absolute concentration. To take pictures.

But Brouillette, 41, is an expert at surf photography.

The fact that it was a big wave, with the city performing perfect acrobatics in the “tube”, foreshadowed something special happening.

“When I shoot at Teahupo'o, I don't shoot in that high burst mode, because in the end, If you press the button too often, you will get 5000 shots back in one day.“And I don't like it!” he explains.

I took four pictures of him as he rose out of the water. One of the four was this picture.“

The Brazilian surfer posted the photo himself on his Instagram account, and it received nearly 5 million “likes” in less than 24 hours.

It was the picture. Used by dozens of media outlets and publications around the world. It has been shared millions of times online.

magazine time Describe it as “The image that defines the triumph of the 2024 Summer Games”.

Australian Media Association News It was further than: “It might be the best sports photo ever.”.

Despite the praise, Brouillet said on Monday that celebrations would have to wait as he still had to cover the finals of the competition.

“I'm sleeping at a friend's house near Teahupo'o and we're going to have a quiet night because if the event happens tomorrow, I'll have to get up at 5am!”