David Taylor Becomes a Two-Time World Champ
Former Penn State wrestler David Taylor became a two-time world champion Friday, defeating a longtime rival in the process.
Taylor decisioned Iran's Hassan Yazdani Charati 7-1 in the 86kg men's freestyle final at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, to earn his second world title since 2018. In the process Taylor, a 2020 Olympic gold medalist, avenged his loss to Yazdani in last year's world final.
Also Friday, Zain Retherford, a three-time NCAA champ at Penn State, fell to Japan's Taishi Narikuni in the 70kg freestyle final. Narikuni, who entered the tournament unseeded, turned a takedown into a 10-0 technical fall over Retherford. The silver was Retherford's first medal in three world-championship appearances.
Since leaving Penn State, where he won two NCAA titles, Taylor has become one of the most decorated international wrestlers in program history. He won a world championship in 2018, then made history at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo by becoming the first Penn State wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal.
Taylor and Yazdani have wrestled on the big stage for years, and this bout was a gem for Taylor. He took a 2-1 lead on a takedown. After the break, Taylor converted a shot into a takedown for a 4-1 lead. He added a penalty point and another takedown as Yazdani went for the big move for the final margin.
This victory was less dramatic than the one Taylor served up in Tokyo, where he scored a takedown with 15 seconds remaining to defeat Yazdani for Olympic gold. Two months later at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo, Yazdani defeated Taylor 6-2, ending Taylor's 57-bout freestyle win streak that dated to 2017.
Taylor had defeated Yazdani twice prior to 2021, including an epic victory during his 2018 run to the world title. In his international career, Taylor also has won three World Cup titles, three Pan-American Championships and three U.S. Opens.
Thomas Gilman, who competes with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, seeks to defend his 57kg freestyle title Saturday. Gilman will wrestle Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania in the championship bout. Gilman, a three-time All-American at Iowa, won bronze at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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