The European champion and World Championships bronze medallist got past one of his main rivals in the final – China’s defending Paralympic champion Yanke Feng.

Coutya led almost from the beginning, carving out a buffer against the Chinese fencer which he finally extended to 15-7.

“It hasn’t really sunk in. I’m just about managing to breathe at the moment. It’s something I’ve wanted for so long, and I’ve been working for so many years now,” Coutya said.

“After the disappointment in Tokyo (2020) – I was very happy with the result (bronze) considering where I was – but I really wanted that gold and it’s something that I’ve dedicated my life to for the last few years.

“I haven’t really started to process it.”

“I’ve fenced him many times and he’s always been my top competitor,” Coutya continued. “I knew that the Chinese team in general are very strong, him especially. I consider him one of the best athletes around.

“I knew that if I actually wanted to win a Paralympic gold medal I would have to beat him. He’s on his best form, so I told myself to get into the best possible mindset and take that all the way through. And that’s what happened in the match.”

China’s Daoliang Hu added a 12^th Paralympic medal to his collection with bronze. It is the 44-year-old’s fifth consecutive podium finish in the foil at his sixth Paralympic Games. He beat Ukraine’s Dmytro Serozhenko, who made it into a medal match on his Paralympic debut.

Saysunee Jana grabbed a sensational second gold of Paris 2024 in the women’s foil category B, to follow on from her win in the sabre 24 hours before.

Already Thailand’s most decorated wheelchair fencer with six Paralympic medals since Athens 2004, Jana stormed to the final where she faced China’s Xiao Rong.

Rong was on a high after knocking-out Italy’s defending champion Beatrice Vio-Grandis in the semi-final.

But her bounce was short-lived as Jana resisted and responded to every attack. The Thai athlete took an early lead which was eroded by Rong at the start of the period.

With the score at 10-10 Jana dug deep to pull away from her opponent and secure the victory.

“It’s perfect. It’s powerful,” Jana simply said after winning her latest gold.

Vio-Grandis was given a second chance on a medal, which she took, with a 15-9 win against South Korea’s Eun Hye Cho for bronze and her third consecutive Paralympic medal.

“Every medal is not given. You have to take it,” Vio-Grandis said, speaking after her bronze medal match but before the gold. “The Chinese fence was better than me today. You have to be perfect these days. I was OK, she was perfect.

“I hope she is going to win the gold, of course. But I’m so happy (with the bronze).”

China’s Zou Xufeng turned the tables on her world champion teammate Haiyan Gu in the women’s foil category A, taking her first Paralympic title.

The Paris 2024 final was a repeat of the most recent World Championships in Terni, Italy, where Gu beat Xufeng to the gold.

This time however, on the biggest stage of them all, it was Xufeng who had the edge in a tense bout.

“I trained 10 years for this moment. This medal is heavy, and also it’s heavy to me. It means a lot.”

In the bronze medal match it was the clash of old and new generation.

Five-time Paralympian and 10- time medallist Yu Chui Yee of Hong Kong, China, faced Spain’s Judith Rodriguez on her Games debut.

Both women showed their great skill but it was Rodriguez who emerged the victor. The 28-year-old had to put her celebrations on hold after a video review revealed she had not landed the decisive touch. Rodriguez managed to hold her nerve and went on to win the match, converting her success at World Cups into a stunning Paralympic bronze.

“I feel so excited, because it was a hard competition with such a top level. It’s my first Paralympics, and I was dreaming of this moment all of my life and I can’t believe this is possible.

“All is possible because I am not alone. I have my team, my team of all the country, my family, my coach, my friends, and I am so excited for this medal.

“I was working many, many hours, many days in the year for this moment, and now I’m here. I’m in Paris in (the) Paralympics, and for me fencing is my life and I can’t believe that I became a medallist in the Paralympic Games.”

China’s Gang Sun retained his men’s Paralympic foil category B title, bringing his total medal count to three across the same number of appearances.

He beat Italy’s Matteo Betti, who was appearing in his first final at this level, into silver with a score of 15-3.

“I won gold (in this event) once before, so winning it for a second time, I’m really happy and excited,” Sun said.

China’s Saichun Zhong added to his World Championships silver medal with bronze, also at his first Paralympics.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games continue on Thursday (5 September) with the men’s and women’s team foil.

Ninety-seven of the world’s best wheelchair fencers from 21 delegations – including the Refugee Paralympic Team – are competing at the iconic Grand Palais until 7 September in individual events in men’s and women’s epee, foil and sabre and team events in foil and epee.