It was a good moment for 30-year-old Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina as he rode a wave to history on Monday.
Medina set a record for the best single-wave score in Olympic history during the third round of the men’s surfing event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Medina almost had a perfect score with a 9.90 in the waters off the coast of Teahupo’o, Tahiti, on his second wave. Medina celebrated by holding up one finger as he soared through the air following his near-perfect ride.
His celebration birthed what is most likely the best image of the 2024 Games so far, photographed by Agence France Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet.
Medina, who currently stands as a three-time world champion, reached the quarterfinals with a total score of 17.40. He is now ready to combat João Chianca, another standing Brazilian in the field, who scored 18.10 points in Round 3.
The two Brazilians are both targeting to deliver Brazil a second consecutive gold medal after Italo Ferreira’s win in the sport’s Olympic first game at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Games. Medina narrowly missed the podium in Tokyo, making him end up in the fourth position.
The surfing quarterfinals and the remaining knockout rounds were made to take place on Tuesday but were postponed because of weather. The event has not been rescheduled.