Wheelchair fencing world champion Piers Gilliver added the Paralympic title to his achievements by winning the men’s category A epee at Tokyo 2020.
While there were a glut of British medals in cycling, equestrian and swimming on day two of the Games, Gilliver provided his nation’s standout result elsewhere.
The 26-year-old from Gloucestershire was in imperious form as he dispatched Russian Maxim Shaburov 15-11 in the deciding category A bout.
Silver medallist in Rio, Gilliver won each of his six pool matches on Thursday before seeing off Ukrainian Artem Manko 15-2 in the quarter-final and then avenging his final defeat of five years ago by overcoming China’s Gang Sun 15-6 in the last four.
“I’m a little overwhelmed but very happy,” said Gilliver, who was disappointed with his last-16 elimination in the sabre on day one.
“Maxim has been a huge rival of mine for years, so I just focused on my own game plan and executed it as best I could.”
Fellow British fencer Dimitri Coutya also claimed a podium place, picking up bronze in the men’s category B following a 15-11 victory over Belarusian defending champion Andrei Pranevich in the third-placed decider.
