Jean Joseph, the 31st seed, defeated Russian Artem Sarkisyan 15-14 in the last 16 at the Cairo Stadium Indoor Halls Complex.

The Frenchman the beat Swiss seventh seed Hadrien Favre 15-13 in the quarter-finals and reach the final via a tight 12-11 win against home athlete Mohamed Elsayed.

Another Egyptian, Mohamed Yasseen, awaited in the final after knocking out French top seed Alexis Messien in the quarter-finals and beating Austrian fifth seed Samuel Berktold 15-10 in the last four.

Jean Joseph defeated Yasseen 15-13 to win the gold medal.

Elsayed and Berktold won the bronze medals.

In the junior women's final, 16th seed Khaertdinova faced American Jessica Lin.

Khaertdinova had defeated the top seed, Alicja Klasik of Poland, in the last 16 by a score of 15-14, before thumping Spaniard Claudia Arribas 15-5 in the quarter-finals and being on the right end of another 15-14 scoreline in the semi-finals against South Korean Kim So-hui.

Lin defeated Russian sixth seed Anna Gzyunova 14-13 in the last 16, Pole Gloria Klughardt 15-13 in the quarter-finals and Ukraine's Anastasiia Zelentsova 15-11 in the last four, but could not overcome Khaertdinova.

The Russian won the final 15-12.

Zelentsova and Kim were given bronze medals.

Cadet épée events are scheduled tomorrow.