Akgul claimed an 8-2 win over 2015 world silver medallist Jamaladdin Magomedov of Azerbaijan in the final at the Spens Sport Hall, securing his fourth gold medal at the event and first since 2014.

The 26-year-old had to go the full six minutes with Magomedov even though he racked up six points midway through the first period from a single-leg takedown and a pair of cross-ankle turns.

He had earlier beaten defending champion and Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Geno Petriashvili of Georgia in the quarter-finals.

In the 125kg bronze medal matches, Armenia’s Levan Berianidze beat Slovakia’s Soslan Gagloev and Petriashvili defeated Hungary’s Daniel Ligeti.

The men’s 70kg freestyle final saw Italy’s Frank Chamizo establish a four-point lead in the first 30 seconds and hold on for a 4-3 win over defending champion Magomedmurad Gadzhiev of Poland.

Victory comes a year after Chamizo claimed the 65kg continental title at the expense of Turkey’s Mustafa Kaya.

Azerbaijan’s Ruslan Dibirgadzhiev, the 2014 European champion, overcame Romania’s Adrian Moise in one of the two battles for bronze.

Russia’s Israil Kasumov got the better of Bulgaria’s Nikolay Kurtev in the other.

Also coming to an end today was women’s competition as Norway's Grace Bullen secured her maiden senior continental crown with victory over Moldova’s Mariana Cherdivara in the 58kg category final.

The two-time European junior champion fell behind early in the second period to an arm throw, but she came back with a go-behind takedown for a 3-3 win on last-point criteria.

Bullen’s triumph was the first for Norway since Maja Erlandsen won the women’s 72kg title in Serbia’s capital Belgrade in 2012.

Hungary’s Emese Barka, the 2015 European Games gold medallist, beat Rio 2016 bronze medallist Natalya Sinishin of Azerbaijan to bronze.

She was joined on the third step of the podium by Germany’s Laura Mertens, who defeated Sweden’s Elin Nilsson for her first medal at the European Championships.

In the women’s 69kg category, defending champion Maria Mamashuk of Belarus lost 6-3 to Russia’s Anastasia Bratchikova after giving up two points on a takedown counter in the second period and a late double-leg takedown. 

France’s Koumba Larroque and Ukraine’s Alla Cherkasova won the bronze medals ahead of Azerbaijan’s Elis Manolova and Turkey’s Buse Tosun respectively.

The event continues tomorrow.

Today also saw the start of the Pan-American Wrestling Championships in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.

Cuba had a day in the men's Greco-Roman categories as their team picked up three golds.

Among the winners was Yasmany Lugo, a silver medallist at Rio 2016, as he beat Luillys Lopez of Venezuela in the 98kg final.

Yurisandy Hernandez and Miguel Martinez also won gold for Cuba in the 75kg and 66kg weight categories respectively.

The United States wrestlers also won three golds with Patrick Smith, Chesney Haight and Benjamin Provisor topping the 71kg, 80kg and 85kg divisions.

Chilean Yasmani Acosta won the 130kg gold and Ecuador's Andres Montano took the 59kg.