Ukraine’s Bogdan Nikishin claims men’s epee gold at Rio Grand Prix

Nikishin, who was on the gold-winning Ukrainian team at last year’s World Championships in Moscow, defeated Switzerland’s Benjamin Steffen 15-13 in a pulsating final.

However, the world number 15 fencer was made to work hard for his victory and nearly gave up a three-point lead, but held his nerve for the title.

All of the world’s top ten fencers had gathered in Rio, with world No. 1 Gauthier Grumier looking to build upon his convincing victory in Budapest in March. Yet in something of surprise none of them made it to the semi-finals, leaving the field wide open for Nikishin to claim the title.

The 35 year old accounted for world number eight Daniel Jerent and top-ranked Grumier on the way to the final.

In the semi-final, Nikishin fought back from a two-point deficit to beat Asian champion Kyoungdoo Park of South Korea 14-11.

Steffen, the world number 28, had dispatched world number 55 Anatoliy Herey of Ukraine 15- 8 in their semi-final after accounting for world number two Enricco Garozzo 15-14 in the quarterfinals.

Herey and Park shared the bronze medal positions as losing semi-finalists.

In other notable results, Switzerland’s world number four Max Heinzer was knocked out in the 64 by his compatriot Georg Kuhn, who is ranked 129 places below him.

Geza Imre, the reigning world champion, was beaten by Constantin Boehm in the last 64, and Ruben Limardo, the London 2012 gold medalist, fell to Sten Priinits of Estonia, the world number 31, in the last 32.

The Men’s Grand Prix marks the halfway stage in the Olympic fencing test event at the Carioca Arena 3. The test event is comprised of the Grand Prix and the team World Championships in women’s foil and men’s sabre, which get underway on Tuesday and running across 27 April.