Fencing icon Beatrice “Bebe” Vio successfully defended her women’s Paralympic gold on Saturday as US wheelchair racing legend Tatyana McFadden won her 18th Paralympic medal. 

Vio, one of the world’s best-known Paralympians, was in unstoppable form as she defeated China’s Zhou Jingjing 15-9 in the Women’s Individual Foil Category B gold medal match, just as she had done in Rio five years ago.

The Italian 24-year-old, who had both forearms and legs amputated when she contracted meningitis as an 11-year-old, screamed in joy before bursting into tears in the arms of her coach after the winning point was scored.

On Day 4 of the competition, a total of 54 gold medals were up for grabs across nine different sports, including 17 athletics finals at the Olympic Stadium.

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