The reigning European champion crossed the finishing line in 3min 54.04sec, edging out Tunisia's Rouay Jebabli by 0.51 seconds, while Jaryd Clifford of Australia came third with a time of 3:54.69.

Kuliatin's compatriots Aleksandr Kostin and Egor Sharov were also in contention, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

The 30-year-old secured his first Paralympic title, but arrived at Tokyo 2020 in fine form after strong performances on the European and world stage in recent years.

At the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in 2019, Kuliatin was denied a gold medal only by Clifford's then-world record time of 3:47.78, finishing just 0.13 seconds further back in silver medal position.

However, he went one better at the European Championships in Bydgoszcz in Poland in June 2021, setting a new European record of 3:46.97 to clinch first place, with Sharov just under three seconds behind in second.

Kuliatin also competed in the T12 400m at the most recent editions of the European and World Championships, securing a bronze in Bydgoszcz with a new personal best of 50.49sec.

The T11 to T13 Para-athletics events are for competitors with vision impairments, which Kuliatin has had since childhood before being diagnosed with optic atrophy in 2013.

He began running at the age of 17 in his home city of Biysk, which he combined with playing amateur football, before switching to athletics after his optic atrophy diagnosis.

Kuliatin's wife Alla Kuliatina is also an athlete, winning gold for Russia at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju in South Korea in the women's 10,000m.

The new Paralympic champion has been awarded the title of Master of Sport of International Class in the Russian Federation.