An early three-point lead was not enough for Di Francisca as her 26-year-old Russian rival came back strongly with a 7-0 rally.

Finding herself 12-7 down with less than 30 seconds to the end of the bout, the Italian went for the all-or-nothing, closing in at 12-11. 

Her last desperate attack, however, landed out of target.

Ines Boubakri of Tunisia became the first African female fencer to win an Olympic medal as she took bronze with a 15-11 win over World Championship runner-up Aida Shanaeva of Russia.

The major upset on the day was the elimination of world number one and London 2012 silver medallist Arianna Errigo of Italy by world number 13 Eleanor Harvey of Canada in the round of 16.

Szilágyi, 26, felt that this gold registered more than his last, commenting: "The first Olympic gold I won at the age of 22, and so I didn't really know what it was all about. 

"What came next - it was just very exciting.

"Now I know what I just earned, what a gold medal is, and I'm just very very happy and proud.

“Daryl is a very aggressive and dynamic fencer who is one of the fastest fencers here and my strategy was to break his dynamism in the middle so I don't let him attack me aggressively so I don't need to go back.

“And it worked."

Homer, meanwhile, commented: "I'm elated. I worked really, really hard for this, ever since I finished second in the worlds (World Championships) last year. 

"I really wanted to get back on the podium here, so I haven't even had time to think about it yet.

"I just wanted to just make the adjustments I needed to to try to win the gold, and unfortunately that didn't happen.

"[I was] just a little bit flat and I think a little bit defensive.

“All day I've been very aggressive, and I know Aron and I have known each other since we were very young.

"So I kind of overthought the match a little bit."