Viral Olympic Surf Shot Tops World Sports Photography Awards

Jan 09, 2025

Matty Graham

A surfer mid-air above a wave, with a surfboard trailing behind connected by a leash. The person is wearing a pink shirt and blue shorts, pointing upward with one hand. The sky is cloudy, with large waves visible below. — The winning image from the World Sports Photography Awards. Image Credit: Jerome Brouillet/World Sports Photography Awards

Sports photography is a game of split-second timing and never-to-be-repeated moments, so to be at the top of your game takes no small amount of skill. The best of the best in this demanding genre has just been recognized with the winning frames from the World Sports Photography Awards.

Basketball players in red and blue uniforms are mid-action on the court during a game, with the stadium filled with spectators. The polished floor reflects the intense scene, capturing the moment's energy. — A winning image from the Top 24 featuring basketball. Image Credit: Andrew Hancock/World Sports Photography Awards

A track athlete from Bahrain celebrates with arms outstretched on a purple track. Other athletes are sitting or lying on the ground, showing fatigue, wearing colorful uniforms and shoes. — An athletics shot from the Top 24 showing the contrasting emotions of victory and defeat. Image Credit: Daniel Sannum Lauten/World Sports Photography Awards

Silhouetted against a dramatic sunset sky, three horse riders gallop along a ridge beside a line of bare trees. The soft gradient of dusk colors the clouds, creating a peaceful yet dynamic scene. — A silhouetted equestrian image that plays with scale placed in the Top 24. Image credit: Edward Whitaker/World Sports Photography Awards

The winning image was a photograph of Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina, taken by Tahiti-based French Photographer Jerome Brouillet on the third day of the surfing event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Teahupo’o, French Polynesia. PetaPixel previously covered Brouillet’s image after it went viral in the summer.

As the awards organizers point out, the image captures an incredible moment where athleticism, spectacle, and photography come together in perfect harmony. Captured on a Nikon Z9, the image gained huge coverage during the Olympics and was regarded as one of the stand-out photos from the Games.

A cyclist in a yellow and black uniform rides past a group of cheering people in aprons outside a building. Some appear to be clapping, while others are leaning forward, watching with excitement. — Crowd participation featured in this Top 24 image. Image Credit: Gaetan Flamme/World Sports Photography Awards

Split-second timing helped this image into the Top 24. Image Credit: Kevin Sabitus/World Sports Photography Awards

The incredible surf image was one of 24 winning frames across sports categories including American Football, Baseball, Equestrian, Golf, Racquet Sports and Football. More than 2200 professional sports photographers from over 96 countries around the world submitted more than 13000 images to this year’s competition and showed a varied range of photographic techniques and approaches.

The image shows the Eiffel Tower at night, illuminated in a warm golden light. Large Olympic rings hang in the center, with the full moon perfectly framed within the rings, creating a striking visual effect. — The moon rises behind the Olympic rings displayed on the Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 22, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. (Photo by Loic VENANCE / AFP)

A golfer celebrates triumphantly on a green during a tournament. He holds a putter and appears ecstatic. Behind him, a massive crowd of spectators fills the stands, cheering and taking photos, with a "US Open" sign visible. — This image of the moment Bryson DeChambeau celebrated a winning putt at the US Open Championship placed in the Top 24. Image Credit David Cannon/World Sports Photography Awards

The World Sports Photography Awards are judged by leading figures from sport, media, photography, brand and creative and according to the press release are “Designed to recognise and celebrate incredible sports images and the photographers who take them. World Sports Photography Awards tell compelling stories of the emotion, passion, athleticism, and focus that are at the heart of sport.”

Aerial view of a table tennis player in motion, wearing a gray shirt and shorts. The player is extending one leg and arm, preparing to hit a white ping pong ball with a red paddle. The blue table is partially visible on the right. — This unique aerial view offers a new perspective on table tennis. Image credit: Tom Weller/World Sports Photography Awards

Baseball players in white uniforms celebrate a victory on the field, jumping and piling onto each other, while one in black walks away, looking disappointed. Water sprays in the air as part of the celebration. — The agony and ecstasy of victory and defeat captured in this Top 24 frame. Image Credit: Mike Carlson/World Sports Photography Awards

A black and white image showing a sequence of a diver in multiple exposure, captured mid-air as they dive off a platform. Water droplets surround them against a dark background, highlighting the motion and grace of the dive. — This incredible Top 24 image shows the full motion of the diver. Image Credit: Shinya Tanaka

A Formula 1 car speeds through a racetrack at night. Streaks of light trails across the image create a dynamic sense of motion, highlighting the car's fast pace. The lights blur into the dark background, emphasizing speed and excitement. — This Top 24 image made the most of the artificial lighting in the scene. Image Credit Thomas Lam/World Sports Photography Awards

A skier in bright gear races downhill on a snowy slope beneath a brilliant blue sky with scattered white clouds. — A unique composition adds an ethereal slant to this skiing image, entitled ‘Heaven’. Image Credit: Petr Slavik/World Sports Photography Awards

A rugby player in a white and red uniform leaps to avoid a tackle on a rain-soaked field, scattering water droplets. Another player in a dark uniform reaches out to tackle him. Spectators and stadium lights are visible in the background. — Challenging weather conditions brought an extra element to this Top 24 photo. Image Credit: Romain Perrocheau/World Sports Photography Awards

Sophie Collins, Chief Marketing Officer at MPB said “As a judge and sponsor of the ‘World Sports Photography Awards,’ I am once again inspired by the extraordinary talent and creativity showcased in this year’s entries. Sports photography holds a unique power to freeze dynamic action and evoke profound emotion in a single frame, capturing stories that transcend the boundaries of the playing field. It’s been thrilling to see the innovation and passion from this year’s participants, setting a remarkable standard for the years to come.”