The Slovenians were the top competitors in the qualifying, with Pevec shooting a new paralympic record of 634.9 and Tiršek just 0.4 points behind.

In the final the pair were neck-and-neck and the final shot was decisive, Pevec defeating Tiršek by just 0.2 points.

"I never even dreamed this would happen. I would often trail close behind in practice since we often practice together, but I only defeated him today, the only time it really matters," the winner said.

Tiršek said the outcome was proof that luck is often the decisive factor, noting that he could not be satisfied although he would have immediately accepted silver before the games.

While the gold is the first career medal for Pevec, Tiršek had already finished as runner-up in London four years ago.