Paris2024: The stunning photo of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina goes viral!

French photographer Jerome Brouillet knew he had the chance to capture one of the most special moments when Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina caught one of the biggest waves, according to the BBC.

"The conditions were perfect, the waves were higher than expected," said Brouillet.

But what Brouillet discovered when he checked his camera was beyond his wildest dreams.

Waiting on a boat in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, Brouillet prepared for the moment when Medina earned the highest score in Olympic history.

Medina stepped off his surfboard, pointing a finger in the air to celebrate his score.

In the perfect moment, Brouillet photographed the Brazilian in the air - who appeared to be standing on the ground - while the board mimicked his stance.

"He was at the end of the wave and I couldn't see him and then he appeared and I took four pictures and one of them was this," said Brouillet.

"It was not difficult to take the picture. I just had to anticipate the moment when Gabriel would catch the wave," he added.

"I think he knew he was on one of the biggest waves of the day," Brouillet said.

The photo, which immediately went to Brouillet's editors, quickly resonated on the Internet.

Brouillet, however, was unaware of how popular his photo was – until he checked his social media.

"As soon as I checked my phone at the six-minute break after the shooting I saw a lot of notifications on social media and I thought something was going on with this photo," he said.

Medina posted the photo on his Instagram and it has already received more than 3.8 million likes.