On another busy day of action, Shokin's fellow countryman Jasur Baykuziyev had earlier lost the under 87kg final against Azerbaijan's Radik Isaev, while South Korea claimed a fourth title after Oh Hyeri overcame China's Zheng Shuyin in the women's under 73kg division. 

But it was the final bout of the evening which provided the highlight as Shokin illustrated the value of never giving up and always fighting to the final second.

He had first been stretched to an extra period in his semi-final before edging past Olympic bronze medallist Robelis Despaigne of Cuba, but needed more to overpower a charismatic but little-known opponent in Ivory Coast's Zokou, whose best result heading into the Championships was a bronze medal at the 2010 African Championships in Tripoli. 

After defeating a strong South Korean in the quarter-finals, Zokou beat Gabon's Anthony Obame, the defending champion who also won a silver medal at London 2012, performing a flamboyant celebratory jig of delight afterwards as a vocal group of supporters cheered and chanted in the crowd.

Shokin edged into a 3-2 lead in the final after a first round in which there was little between the two, before extending his advantage to 5-2 early in the second.

Then the Ivorian exploded into life, hitting back with two spinning kick in succession to score six points and turn the bout upside down.

But the Uzbek, far from giving up, kept harrying forward, scoring three times before successfully appealing a decision at 9-10 to force the match into an extra period.

And, with his opponent maybe losing some composure, Shokin pounced to register the decisive contact and claim the biggest title of his career.

As Uzbek flags waved, Zokou was despondent, throwing his face protector, and then himself, to the ground, as if he could scarcely believe he had let his opponent back into the fight.

Elsewhere, on a night where the crowd was slightly smaller and less raucous than seen here over recent days, there was yet more home disappointment as Vladislav Larin, the only Russian in action tonight, lost his semi-final against Shokin's compatriot Baykuziyev.

It means that, despite three silver and three bronze medals, we are are still yet to see a Russian victory here, something you still feel the Championships really needs to crown its complete success in the world's largest nation.

As if to rub salt in Russian wounds, two of their near neighbours contested the under 87kg final as top seed Baykuziyev took on third ranked Radik Isaev of Azerbaijan in a duel between the reigning Asian Games and European champions. 

After a tense opener, Isaev opened up daylight to take a 5-1 lead before expertly keeping his rival at arms length.

Displaying typical Uzbek pluck, Baykuziyev fought back, reducing the arrears to just one point with second left, before, unlike with Shokin later evening, he proved agonisingly unable to quite draw level. 

Isaev will no hope to crown a golden year with gold at his home European Games in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku next month.

The match proved a rare exception to the Asian dominance we have seen here this week and, despite by no means enjoying unanimous success, South Korea showed they remain the world's strongest taekwondo nation as Oh Hyeri captured a fourth gold for the 2017 World Championship hosts in the women's under 73kg division.

After overcoming United States' Jackie Galloway in the semi-final she was too strong for Zheng of China, withstanding a late fightback to triumph 5-4.

China, like Russia, is another country which has just one more day to claim a first gold medal here.

Four events will take place tomorrow, with semi-finals and finals in the women's 57kg and men's under 63kg categories, as well as all of the action in the men's under 80kg and women's under 62kg divisions.

Britain-turned-Moldovan Aaron Cook, the three-time European champion renowned for his explosive and attacking style, is one who could ensure the Championships end here with a bang.

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