A surfer soaring above the clouds, a BMX champion riding up the Concorde obelisk, the first-ever Olympic dive into the Seine... AFP photographers tell us how they captured some of the incredible images from the Paris Olympic Games.

By Marine Do-Vale

- Levitating surfer -

It's one of the most widely used images from the Games: Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina seemingly levitating above the waves, finger to the sky, surfboard vertically behind him.

His eye-popping picture of a BMX ace seemingly riding to the top of an ancient Egyptian obelisk on his bike during the Paris Olympics has gone around the world.

Argentina's Jose Torres Gil takes part in a BMX freestyle training session during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 29, 2024. © Jeff Pachoud / AFP

AFP photographer Jerome Brouillet knew to expect fireworks when he saw Brazilian Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina paddle into one of the day's biggest waves at one of the world's heaviest surf breaks.

by Guy Jackson, AFP Co-Chief Sports Editor

AFP's coverage of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics had been meticulously prepared for a year, with every detail scrutinized to determine the optimal position for the best shot or the best reportage.

AFP photojournalist Christina Assi said she felt "incredible" support as she carried the Olympic Flame outside Paris Sunday, almost a year after being gravely wounded while reporting in Lebanon.

"I hope what we did today honours all the journalists and friends who have been killed this year," said Lebanese national Assi, who was joined in the relay by AFP video colleague Dylan Collins, an American hurt in the same incident.

AFP has signed an open letter urging Israel to give journalists independent access to Gaza, alongside other +60 media and civil society organizations.

The organizations — which include the Associated Press, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post — point out that no independent media access to Gaza has been permitted since the start of the war, increasing the pressure on domestic journalists, and creating a space for mis- and disinformation to flourish.

The AFP photo exhibition "En route pour Paris 2024" opened on Friday July 5 at the Alliance Française in Thailand.

It brings together 24 emotionally charged photos taken by the agency's photojournalists during previous Olympics and preparatory events for the Paris Games. The evening event in Bangkok attracted some 200 members of the media, AFP officials, partners and clients.

Conceived by Stefano Rellandini, Deputy Photo Editor for France, AFP presents an exceptional photo series featuring French athletes posing at iconic sites in Paris and Versailles.

AFP held a digital investigation workshop on Monday 10 June with Brazilian indigenous journalism and communication networks.

For the first time, AFP will be present at one of North America's premier events dedicated to innovation.