The Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) competitor proved too strong for Brazil’s Jovane Guissone, the London 2012 champion and ranked second in the world by the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS).

Kuzyukov reeled off five successive points to storm into an 8-2 lead in the gold medal bout.

Kuzyukov extended his advantage to 11-3 and 12-4, before sealing the contest 15-8.

In the semi-final against Belarus’ defending champion Andrei Pranevich, Kuzyukov had trailed 13-8 but won seven consecutive points at the end of the match to progress to the final.

He thrashed China’s Daoliang Hu 15-5 and qualified from the preliminary pool one by winning five of his six bouts.

Kuzyukov began the day with a 5-2 victory over Iraq’s Ammar Ali, before thrashing Canada’s Pierre Mainville and Japan’s Michinobu Fujita 5-1 and beating Yohan Peter of France 5-3.

Dimitri Coutya of Britain, ranked first in the world by IWAS, inflicted Kuzyukov’s only defeat at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba by five points to three, but he bounced back in his final preliminary round bout by coming from 3-1 down to see off Ukraine’s Anton Datsko 5-4.

Kuzyukov has spinal cord injuries after being hit by a beam on a construction site at the age of 18, losing the use of his legs in the incident.

He competes in category B events for Para athletes whose impairment affects their trunk or fencing arm.

The wheelchair fencer, who was born in Maryanovka and is now based in the Russian city of Omsk, competed at the Paralympics at London 2012.

He was individual champion in the épée category B at the Wheelchair Fencing World Championships in Budapest in 2013 and also won team golds at Rome 2017 and Cheongju 2019.

He also won a team épée silver in 2013, as well as three bronzes at the World Championships since Catania 2011.

At the Wheelchair Fencing European Championships, Kuzyukov won an épée team gold at Terni in Italy in 2018, as well as an individual épée category B bronze.

Kuzyukov took up the sport in 2009 and made his international debut two years later.

The new Paralympic champion has also served as public council President of the United Country-Accessible Environment project in the Omsk region, which aims to make the area more accessible for people with impairments and make their lives "more comfortable."

His philosophy is "never surrender," and the Honoured Master of Sport in the Russian Federation title is included among his honours.