Yakimenko earns maiden individual title on day of double delight for Russia at World Fencing Championships

Russian duo Andrey Yakimenko and Sofia Velikaya both claimed individual gold in the sabre events today ©Getty Images

Six-time team world champion Alexey Yakimenko finally got his hands on an individual title with gold in the men’s sabre event with compatriot Sofia Velikaya securing the women’s honours on a day of Russian dominance at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) World Championships in Moscow.

Yakimenko, twice runner-up in the competition, in 2005 and last year, cruised to a commanding 15-5 victory over American Daryl Homer in the final to seal gold on home soil at the Olympic Stadium.

The 31-year-old reached the sabre showpiece by beating Max Hartung, one of the German quartet who won gold in the team event at the 2014 World Championships in Kazan.

Hartung’s defeat gave him one of the two bronze medals available, with the other going to world number five Tiberiu Dolniceanu of Romania.

Yakimenko’s victory ensured Russia maintained their monopoly of the men’s individual sabre competition as he became the third consecutive fencer from the country to become world champion in the event.

Veniamin Reshetnikov topped the podium in the sabre tournament in Budapest, Hungary in 2013, with Nikolay Kovalev securing gold the following year in Kazan.

Sofia Velikaya of Russia (left) became only the fifth woman to secure a second individual sabre World Championships gold medal ©Getty Images

The success for Russia did not end there, though, as Velikaya proved too strong for France's Cécilia Berder in the women’s final, emerging from a tight contest on the right side of a 15-12 scoreline.

Berder, twice a silver medallist in the team sabre event, kept pace with her opponent for large parts of the match-up but Velikaya’s experience showed as she claimed victory to earn her second individual world title.

China’s Chen Shen and USA’s Anna Marton rounded off the podium by taking home the bronze medal.

Velikaya is now one of only five women to have won individual sabre gold twice, following in the footsteps of Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan, America's Mariel Zagunis, Azerbaijan’s Elena Jemayeva and France's Anne Lise Touya.

It proved to be a disappointing outing for top seed Ukrainian Kharlan, hotly-tipped for the title but who exited the competition at the round of 16 stage following a 15-10 defeat to Berder.

The men’s and women’s individual epee competitions are due to begin with the preliminary rounds tomorrow, with the finals taking place the following day (July 15).