Gabriel Medina's raised index finger as he levitates on his surfboard is a powerful symbol of how sports success has boosted the confidence of Brazilian evangelicals, helping them move from the margins to the mainstream.
Behind one of the most iconic images from the 2024 Olympics lies a subtle Christian message.
On July 29, during the third round of the shortboard surfing competition, Brazil’s Gabriel Medina faced off against Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi—the same competitor who knocked him out in the last Olympics. In his second wave, Medina emerged triumphantly from a barrel, gesturing with both open palms as if to suggest a perfect score of 10 for his ride. While two of the five judges agreed, he ultimately scored a 9.9.
After riding the wave, Medina turned left towards the surf, jumped off his board, and pointed his right index finger towards the sky. This gesture was captured in an image by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet.
For Brazilian evangelicals, the gesture was instantly recognizable.
“It’s as if he’s saying, ‘Don’t look at me; look at God. This moment of glory belongs to Him, not to me,’” explained João Guilherme Züge, a historian of religion at the Museu Paranaense in Curitiba.
Unlike in the United States, where athletes often point skyward after a significant achievement—some as a sign of gratitude to God, others in memory of loved ones—the gesture among Brazilian athletes is closely tied to Christian faith.
For over 40 years, raising a finger towards the sky has been a hallmark of Brazilian evangelical athletes. This act, among other public displays of faith, has helped solidify evangelical identity, particularly when the movement was still emerging.
Though its origins are unclear, the gesture gained widespread popularity in the 1990s, especially among soccer players like Kaka, who would point skyward after scoring, knowing the cameras would capture the moment.
Despite its widespread use, the spiritual meaning behind the gesture hasn’t always been understood outside evangelical circles. “[Medina] has every right to see himself as number one,” commented Renata Vasconcellos, anchor of Brazil’s top news program, Jornal Nacional, offering a different interpretation of the raised finger.