Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina made history with the highest single wave score in Olympic history, a 9.90, during the fifth heat on Monday. This score propelled him into the men’s surfing quarterfinals, and photographer Jerome Brouillet captured one of the most iconic images of the Paris Games.
As Medina celebrated his impressive achievement, Brouillet's photo shows him and his board seemingly floating above the water, with Medina holding his right arm aloft and making a No. 1 sign.
Despite his historic score, Medina felt he could have done even better.
“I felt like it was a 10. I’ve landed a few 10s before, and I was convinced that this one deserved it. The wave was just perfect,” Medina said.
“It’s super dangerous out there. When the waves are hollow like this, it’s extremely shallow. There are some solid waves, but we love it.”
