Who is Gabriel Medina, the surfer in the viral photo in the 2024 Olympics in Paris

Gabriel Medina has been one of the most talked about names in recent hours, with the reason behind it being because last night he starred in one of the most astonishing photos not just of the Olympic Games so far, but all of 2024. The three-time world champion entered a 5-meter wave and ‘flew out’ of it perfectly enough for Jerome Brouillet to capture him vertical, in the air, signalling that he was number one.

It’s a photo for the history books. The move earned him a 9.9, the best score in the history of the Olympic Games, although he was really left wanting more - his real goal was to get a perfect 10.

The Brazilian in his mid-teens, at the age of 14, already had several achievements to his credit. Despite winning three world surfing championships in 2014, 2018 and 2021, it was not until later that he understood that he had to improve his performances. Being an elite athlete is about always going for more. However, everything fell apart for him, with a personal crisis at the centre of things.

Gabriel Medina went so far as to separate from his wife, something that ended up removing him even more from the sport he loved so much. He spent more than a year without competing until he finally decided to return in 2023, eventually making the cut to take the plane to Paris.

When he arrived in the French capital, Medina was not expected to shine so brightly, and of course snapping such a perfect photo was even further down the list of possibilities.

But the Olympic Games are just that. This competition has allowed the Brazilian to redeem himself from the personal crisis he had in 2021. In life everything comes back around, and not least for Gabriel Medina.