David Taylor
Personal information
Full nameDavid Morris Taylor III
NicknameMagic Man[1]
Born (1990-12-05) December 5, 1990 (age 33)
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Home townSt. Paris, Ohio, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight86 kg (190 lb)
Sport
CountryUnited States
SportWrestling
EventFolkstyle & Freestyle
College teamPenn State University
ClubNittany Lion Wrestling Club
Coached byCael Sanderson
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 86 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Budapest 86 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Belgrade 86 kg
Gold medal – first place 2023 Belgrade 86 kg
Silver medal – second place 2021 Oslo 86 kg
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 Iowa City Team
Silver medal – second place 2017 Kermanshah Team
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Lima 86 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Buenos Aires 86 kg
Gold medal – first place 2021 Guatemala 86 kg
Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin
Gold medal – first place 2018 Krasnoyarsk 86 kg
World University Games
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Kazan 74 kg
US Open Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Las Vegas 74 kg
Gold medal – first place 2017 Las Vegas 86 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Las Vegas 86 kg
Silver medal – second place 2013 Las Vegas 74 kg
Silver medal – second place 2014 Las Vegas 74 kg
Silver medal – second place 2015 Las Vegas (SN) 86 kg
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 St. Louis 165 lb
Gold medal – first place 2014 Oklahoma City 165 lb
Silver medal – second place 2011 Philadelphia 157 lb
Silver medal – second place 2013 Des Moines 165 lb
Big Ten Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Evanston 157 lb
Gold medal – first place 2012 West Lafayette 165 lb
Gold medal – first place 2013 Illinois 165 lb
Gold medal – first place 2014 Madison 165 lb

David Morris Taylor III (born December 5, 1990) is an American freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes at 86 kilograms.[2] In 2021, Taylor became the 2020 Olympic gold medalist after defeating reigning Olympic and World Champion Hassan Yazdani, a feat he repeated from the 2018 World Championship where he stormed his way to the title.[3][4] He later became the 2021 World Championship runner-up, after being defeated by Yazdani.[5] Then, at the 2022 World Championships, he avenged that loss by defeating Yazdani once again to reclaim his world title.[6]

One of the most accomplished Nittany Lions in the history of the Penn State program, Taylor was a two-time NCAA Division I national champion (four–time finalist), a four-time Big Ten Conference champion, and a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner during his collegiate years.[7]

Folkstyle career

High school

Born in Reno, Nevada, Taylor attended Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio. As a high schooler, Taylor became a four-time OHSAA state champion with an outstanding 180–2 record and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. He received the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2009 as the nation's top high school wrestler.[8][9]

College

During his time at Penn State (2009–2014), Taylor went on to become a two-time NCAA Division I national champion (four-time finalist), a four-time Big Ten Conference champion, and two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner.[7] After a perfect freshman year to that point, Taylor was pinned by Arizona State's Bubba Jenkins at the NCAA finals.[10] As a sophomore, he moved up from 157 pounds (71 kg) to 165 lb (75 kg), winning the NCAA title and being named the best college wrestler in the US as the Dan Hodge Trophy winner with a 70–1 overall record.

As a junior, he faced Kyle Dake from Cornell in the NCAA finals, who moved up to attempt to become the third four-time NCAA champion and the first to win titles at four different weight classes in the history of the NCAA. After a back-and-forth battle, Taylor was defeated 5–4.[11] As a senior, he once again had an undefeated campaign, claimed his second NCAA title, helped clinch the team title for the Nittany Lions, and became the third multiple-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner in history.[12] Taylor graduated with 134 wins and three losses, 50 pins, 42 technical falls, and 29 major decisions.[12]

Freestyle career

2010–2012

Taylor made his freestyle debut in April 2010, when he claimed a University US National title.[13] In 2012, he competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, where he went 3–2.[14]

2013–2014

In 2013, Taylor claimed runner-up honors at the US Open in April, defeating Nick Marable to reach the finals and then being downed by the defending Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs.[15] After pinning '12 Junior World Champion Magomed Kurbanaliev from Russia at Beat the Streets,[16] Taylor became a two-time US University National and made the US University World Team on May.[17] At the '13 US World Team Trials Challenge of June, Taylor went 4–1 with a lone loss to four-time NCAA Division I National Kyle Dake to claim third-place.[18] At the 2013 Summer Universiade, he claimed a bronze medal for the United States.[19]

In 2014, last year's US Open results were repeated when Taylor fell to Jordan Burroughs, this rematch being much closer and forcing the now defending World Champion to come from behind to get the last minute comeback.[20] After dominating the eventual '16 Olympic bronze medalist and at-the-time two-time World bronze medalist and two-time European Champion Jabrayil Hasanov at Beat the Streets, Taylor made the US World Team Trials finals, but was defeated twice in a row by Burroughs.[21]

2015–2016

Now able to focus on freestyle full-time after graduating from college, Taylor opened up the 2015 year with a fifth-place finish at the Yasar Dogu, where he went 3–2.[22] He then claimed his first US Open National title in May,[23] followed up by a technical fall over Cuba's Liván López at Beat the Streets.[24] In his fourth attempt to make the US World Team, Taylor was once again overpowered by Kyle Dake in the challenge tournament, but he came back and claimed the third place when he beat veteran Andrew Howe.[25] Taylor then claimed Grand Prix of Spain and Stepan Sargsyan Cup gold medals in July,[26][27] before making the decision to bulk up to the 86 kilogram division on September.[28] Taylor took fifth-place at the Golden Grand Prix of November, and seemed overpowered in his first tournament at a new weight class.[29] On December, Taylor competed at the US Senior Nationals, and after running through '14 US World Team member and teammate Ed Ruth,[30] Taylor was defeated by long-time rival Kyle Dake.[31]

In 2016, Taylor was unable to make the US Olympic Team, as he was defeated by Dake for the fifth time in the senior level, forcing Taylor to battle for the bronze medal, which he comfortably earned.[32] He then claimed his second Spain Grand Prix title on July,[33] and competed again at the World Clubs Cup of December, where he went 3-1 and helped TMWC reach the first-place, while also defeating the accomplished Alireza Karimi.[34]

2017

In his first competition of the year, Taylor dominated the Grand Prix of Paris in January,[35] and despite being initially banned by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran,[36] he competed at the World Cup in February in Iran.[37] At the World Cup, he defeated four top-level opponents: '12 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time European Champion Dato Marsagishvili in the first round (8-3), that year's World Championship bronze medalist Vladislav Valiev (TF 14–4), '12 Olympic Gold medalist Sharif Sharifov (TF 12–2), and '16 Olympic Gold medalist Hassan Yazdani (fall).[38]

Taylor claimed his second US national title in April, with an overall score of 40–4 against five opponents.[39] After a quick win at Beat the Streets,[40] Taylor made the World Team Trials finals when he ran through '16 US OTT Greco-Roman champion Joe Rau and '12 Junior World Championship runner-up Pat Downey, and defeated three-time NCAA Division I All-American Nick Heflin to make the best-of-three, where he faced returning Olympic Bronze medalist J'den Cox.[41] In the first match, Taylor rallied comfortably with a 9–3 win, but was closely defeated in the second match 4–3, leading to a controversial third bout due to Cox's sweat and alleged passivity, which caused Taylor to kick the challenge cube and his cornerman Cael Sanderson to throw items at the official and a chair onto the mat after losing 5–3.[42][43]

He came back to competition at the World Clubs Cup on December, where he helped the TMWC to second place with notable victories over Alireza Karimi and Pawan Kumar.[44]

2018

To start off the year, Taylor became only the 12th American to claim a gold medal at the Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix, considered the toughest open tournament in the world.[45] He opened with a win over two-time (and defending) Pan American champion Yurieski Torreblanca, followed by Selim Yaşar on points and a fall over '17 Junior World Champion Artur Naifonov to make the finals. In the finals, he got another fall, this time over Fatih Erdin, to claim the gold medal.[46] On April, he claimed his second consecutive World Cup championship, recording four technical falls to help secure the gold medal for the United States.[47][48] He also clinched his third US National title, with four victories over fellow Americans.[49]

On May, he claimed his first Pan American title, with notable wins over Yurieski Torreblanca, Pool Ambrocio and Eduardo Gajardo.[50] On his seventh attempt to make the US World/Olympic Team, Taylor finally and dominantly was able to punch tickets to the World Championships, when he defeated '18 Bill Farrell Memorial medalist Nick Reenan twice via technical fall on May, at Final X: State College.[51] He then warmed up at the Yasar Dogu of July, with four dominant pins over foreigners.[52]

At the World Championships, Taylor had a tough start, as he faced his biggest threat of the tournament in the first round, '16 Olympic Gold medalist and defending World champion Hassan Yazdani from Iran. After being down two points to six at the end of the first period, Taylor was able to overcome adversity and put on nine points on his side, finishing the legendary match 11–6.[53] In the next round, he tech'd '18 Alexander Medved champion Hajy Rajabau from Belarus, to advance to the quarterfinals.[54] Next, he picked apart the accomplished Cuban Yurieski Torreblanca, to pick up an 8–0 victory.[55] In the semifinals, he had it harder, as he went to the distance against the '17 European Champion and Russia's best Dauren Kurugliev, but was able to score the comeback win 7–5.[56] During the match, Taylor got briefly knocked out after Kurugliev accidentally wheel kicked him on the chin when escaping a single leg attempt by Taylor.[57] In the finals, he dismantled Fatih Erdin from Turkey, overwhelming his opposition with 12 points to two, to claim the World Championship and help Team USA reach third place.[58][59]

After the year was over, Taylor was named the UWW International Freestyle wrestler of the Year,[60] and was awarded the John Smith Award winner as USA's Freestyle wrestler of the Year.[61]

2019–2020

After time off competition, the returning World Champion came back in April 2019, when he claimed his second straight Pan American title, tournament in where he scored 34 points to none against his four opponents and Team USA claimed all ten medals in freestyle.[62] On May, he competed at the annual Beat the Streets for charity, against Drew Foster, where he suffered a severe knee injury which led him to forfeit out of the match, and ultimately, forced him to stay inactive during the whole year, missing the opportunity to make his second US World Team (forfeiting it to Pat Downey instead, whom he had tech'd twice), to represent the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games or to defend his title at the World Championships.[63][64][65]

After almost a full year of no competition, Taylor came back to wrestle in March 2020, at the Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament.[66] He comfortably got three wins to win the bracket and internationally qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[67] Taylor was then scheduled to compete at the US Olympic Team Trials on April 4 at State College, Pennsylvania, where he was a heavy favorite.[68] However, the event was postponed for 2021 along with the Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving all the qualifiers unable to compete.[69]

Taylor was unable to compete for a couple of months due to the pandemic, but was scheduled to wrestle Pat Downey (whom he was unable to wrestle at the '19 US World Trials) on July 25, at FloWrestling: Dake vs. Chamizo.[70] After Downey pulled out of the bout due to problems with the organization, Taylor wrestled and tech'd the accomplished Myles Martin.[71] After more months of inactiveness, Taylor defeated two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean by points on November 24, at the NLWC III.[72]

2021

To start the year, Taylor was scheduled to face his former rival and five-time World and Olympic champion (at 74 kg) Jordan Burroughs, at 86 kilos, on January 9, while headlining FloWrestling: Burroughs vs. Taylor.[73] However, it was announced on January 8 that Taylor was unable to travel to Austin, Texas due to COVID-19 restrictions and the bout was subsequently postponed for four days later and changed its location for Lincoln, Nebraska, thus moving to a different card also named FloWrestling: Burroughs vs. Taylor.[74] After a 4–0 lead for Taylor in the first period, Burroughs rallied late to score four points of his own, but was unable to secure the victory as Taylor had criteria, defeating Burroughs for the first time in five matches.[75] Taylor was also scheduled to compete at the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane on January 16,[76] but was not able to travel due to the postponement of his match against Burroughs.[77]

During April 2 to 3, Taylor competed at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials as the heavy favorite and top–seed.[78] After cleaning out All–American Brett Pfarr in the quarterfinal round,[79] Taylor flawlessly knocked off reigning US National champion Gabe Dean in a rematch from their match at the NLWC III, advancing to the best–of–three finals.[80] In the finale, Taylor faced reigning U23 World Champion and Penn State legend Bo Nickal, whom he is close with as a friend and teammate at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. He defeated Nickal twice and did not allow him to score any points while scoring ten combined points of his own, becoming the US Olympic Team Member at 86 kilograms, and qualifying him to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[81] In regards to his close relationship with Nickal, Taylor then stated:

"It was a weird emotion," Taylor said. "We had a discussion leading up to it, and we have such a deep room in the wrestling club, especially at 86 kilos, so we're challenged every single day and none of us would be where we are without each other. Bo's amazing, and I wouldn't be where I am without Bo."[82]

As a result, Taylor also competed at the Pan American Continental Championships on May 30.[83] Taylor racked up 30 points against his three opponents while not getting scored on to claim the crown and help the USA reach all 10 freestyle medals.[84]

Taylor wrestling Hassan Yazdani in the Olympic finale.

On August 4, Taylor competed in the first date of men's freestyle 86 kg of the 2020 Summer Olympics, where he looked dominant enough to score technical falls over all of his three opponents on his way to the finals; four-time World Championship medalist Ali Shabanau from Belarus, '20 European Championship runner-up Myles Amine from San Marino and defending World silver medalist Deepak Punia from India.[85] On the other side of the finale awaited rival and reigning Olympic and World Champion Hassan Yazdani from Iran, Taylor meeting him in a rubber match on August 5 after downing him twice earlier in his career.[86] Down 0–2 to a step-out and a passivity point in the second period, Taylor scored the first takedown to tie it up, though Yazdani scored another step-out to make it 2–3 on his favor, before being blasted by Taylor for two points late in the match, resulting in the stunning upset comeback win, shocking the world as the underdog going into the match. This result gained Taylor the 2020 Summer Olympic Games gold medal and extended his win-streak to 54 matches.[87]

As an Olympic medalist, Taylor earned the right to automatically represent the United States at the 2021 World Championships without having to compete domestically to make the US World Team, and did do so in October 2–3.[88] On the first date, Taylor once again ran through his competition, dominating the likes of World Championship runner-ups Boris Makojev and Abubakr Abakarov to cruise to the finale.[89] A fourth match with rival and reigning World Champion Hassan Yazdani took place in the finals, but this time the Iranian came up on top for the first time, nullifying Taylor and snapping his 57-match win streak, marking the series 3–1 in favor of Taylor and the latter leaving with a silver medal.[5]

Freestyle record

Senior Freestyle Matches Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location 2024 US Olympic Team Trials at 86 kg Loss 152–21 Aaron Brooks 1–3 April 20, 2024 2024 US Olympic Team Trials State College, Pennsylvania Loss 152–20 Aaron Brooks 1–4 2023 World Championships at 86 kg Win 152–19 Hassan Yazdani Fall September 17, 2023 2023 World Championships Belgrade, Serbia Win 151–19 Azamat Dauletbekov Fall September 16, 2023 Win 150–19 Magomed Sharipov TF 12–2 Win 149–19 Benjamin Greil TF 10–0 Win 148–19 Sofiane Padiou Belmir Fall 2023 US World Team Trials at 86 kg Win 147–19 Aaron Brooks 5–4 June 10, 2023 2023 Final X Newark Newark, New Jersey Win 146–19 Aaron Brooks 6–0 2022 World Championships at 86 kg Win 145–19 Hassan Yazdani 7-1 September 16, 2022 2022 World Championships Belgrade, Serbia Win 144–19 Azamat Dauletbekov TF 12–0 September 15, 2022 Win 143–19 Ethan Ramos TF 11–0 Win 142–19 Aron Caneva TF 10–0 2022 US World Team Trials at 86 kg Win 141–19 Zahid Valencia TF 10–0 June 8, 2022 2022 Final X NYC New York City, New York Win 140–19 Zahid Valencia 4–2 2021 World Championships at 86 kg Loss 139–19 Hassan Yazdani 2–6 October 3, 2021 2021 World Championships Oslo, Norway Win 139–18 Abubakr Abakarov Fall October 2, 2021 Win 138–18 Akhmed Aibuev Fall Win 137–18 Boris Makojev TF 11–0 2020 Summer Olympics at 86 kg Win 136–18 Hassan Yazdani 4–3 August 5, 2021 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo, Japan Win 135–18 Deepak Punia TF 10–0 August 4, 2021 Win 134–18 Myles Amine TF 12–2 Win 133–18 Ali Shabanau TF 11–0 2021 Pan American Championships at 86 kg Win 132–18 Clayton Pye TF 10–0 May 30, 2021 2021 Pan American Continental Championships Guatemala City, Guatemala Win 131–18 Juan Sebastián Rivera TF 10–0 Win 130–18 Noel Alfonso Torres TF 10–0 2020 US Olympic Team Trials at 86 kg Win 129–18 Bo Nickal 6–0 April 2–3, 2021 2020 US Olympic Team Trials Fort Worth, Texas Win 128–18 Bo Nickal 4–0 Win 127–18 Gabe Dean 4–0 Win 126–18 Brett Pfarr TF 11–0 Win 125–18 Jordan Burroughs 4–4 January 13, 2021 FloWrestling: Burroughs vs. Taylor Lincoln, Nebraska Win 124–18 Gabe Dean 6–2 November 24, 2020 NLWC III State College, Pennsylvania Win 123–18 Myles Martin TF 11–0 July 25, 2020 FloWrestling: Dake vs. Chamizo Austin, Texas 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament at 86 kg Win 122–18 Pool Ambrocio FF March 15, 2020 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament Ottawa, Canada Win 121–18 Yurieski Torreblanca 8–0 Win 120–18 Pedro Ceballos Fall 2019 Pan American Championships at 86 kg Win 119–18 Pedro Ceballos TF 10–0 April 19–21, 2019 2019 Pan American Continental Championships Buenos Aires, Argentina Win 118–18 Lazaro Hernandez TF 10–0 Win 117–18 Meruzhan Nikoyan 6–0 Win 116–18 Rashji Mackey 8–0 2018 World Championships at 86 kg Win 115–18 Fatih Erdin TF 12–2 October 20–21, 2018 2018 World Championships Budapest, Hungary Win 114–18 Dauren Kurugliev 7–5 Win 113–18 Yurieski Torreblanca 8–0 Win 112–18 Hajy Rajabau TF 10–0 Win 111–18 Hassan Yazdani 11–6 2018 Yaşar Doğu International at 86 kg Win 110–18 Murad Suleymanov Fall July 27–29, 2018 2018 Yaşar Doğu International Istanbul, Turkey Win 109–18 Ahmet Bilici Fall Win 108–18 Boris Makojev Fall Win 107–18 Azamat Dauletbekow Fall 2018 US World Team Trials at 86 kg Win 106–18 Nick Reenan TF 12–0 June 15–16, 2018 2018 Final X: State College State College, Pennsylvania Win 105–18 Nick Reenan TF 13–2 2018 Pan American Championships at 86 kg Win 104–18 Yurieski Torreblanca 3–2 May 3–6, 2018 2018 Pan American Continental Championships Lima, Peru Win 103–18 Julio Rodriguez Romero 3–0 Win 102–18 Pool Ambrocio TF 11–0 Win 101–18 Eduardo Gajardo TF 12–2 2018 US Open at 86 kg Win 100–18 Richard Perry 8–0 April 24–28, 2018 2018 US Open National Championships Las Vegas, Nevada Win 99–18 T.J. Dudley TF 12–2 Win 98–18 Noe Garcia 2–0 Win 97–18 Austin Coburn TF 10–0 Win 96–18 Evan Hansen TF 10–0 2018 World Cup at 86 kg Win 95–18 Aleksandr Gostiyev TF 12–2 April 7, 2018 2018 World Cup Iowa City, Iowa Win 94–18 David Khutsishvili TF 11–1 Win 93–18 Masao Matsusaka TF 12–2 Win 92–18 Pawan Kumar TF 10–0 2018 Ivan Yarygin Gran Prix at 86 kg Win 91–18 Fatih Erdin Fall January 28, 2018 Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin 2018 Krasnoyarsk, Russia Win 90–18 Artur Naifonov Fall Win 89–18 Koloi Kartoev 4–1 Win 88–18 Yurieski Torreblanca 4–4 2017 World Clubs Cup for TMWC at 86 kg Win 87–18 Alireza Karimi 3–1 December 7–8, 2017 2017 World Clubs Cup Tehran, Iran Win 86–18 Gankhuyag Ganbaatar Fall Win 85–18 Petar Savakov 4–0 Win 84–18 Pawan Kumar TF 10–0 Win 83–18 Alexander Moore TF 14–4 2017 US World Team Trials at 86 kg Loss 82–18 J'den Cox 3–5 June 9–10, 2017 2017 US World Team Trials Lincoln, Nebraska Loss 82–17 J'den Cox 3–4 Win 82–16 J'den Cox 9–3 Win 81–16 Nick Heflin 13–9 2017 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament Win 80–16 Pat Downey TF 10–0 Win 79–16 Joe Rau TF 13–0 Win 78–16 Takahiro Murayama Fall May 17, 2017 2017 Beat The Streets: Times Square New York City, New York 2017 US Open at 86 kg Win 77–16 Richard Perry TF 10–0 April 26–29, 2017 2017 US Open National Championships Las Vegas, Nevada Win 76–16 Nick Heflin TF 15–4 Win 75–16 Pat Downey TF 10–0 Win 74–16 Chance McClure TF 10–0 Win 73–16 Anthony Cress 5–0 2017 World Cup at 86 kg Win 72–16 Hassan Yazdani Fall February 16–17, 2017 2017 World Cup Kermanshah, Iran Win 71–16 Sharif Sharifov TF 12–2 Win 70–16 Vladislav Valiev TF 14–4 Win 69–16 Dato Marsagishvili 8–3 2017 Paris Grand Prix at 86 kg Win 68–16 Richard Perry 8–5 January 28–29, 2017 2017 International Paris Grand Prix Paris, France Win 67–16 Akhmed Aibuev TF 12–2 Win 66–16 István Veréb TF 10–0 Win 65–16 Mihaly Nagy TF 10–0 2016 World Clubs Cup for TMWC at 86 kg Win 64–16 Alireza Karimi 12–6 November 30 – December 1, 2016 2016 World Clubs Cup Kharkiv, Ukraine Win 63–16 Bohdan Hrytsay TF 19–6 Loss 62–16 Dmytro Rochniak 2–6 Win 62–15 Nika Kentchadze Fall 2016 Spain Grand Prix at 86 kg Win 61–15 István Veréb 8–6 July 9–10, 2016 2016 Grand Prix of Spain Madrid, Spain Win 60–15 Orgodolyn Üitümen 14–7 Win 59–15 Anthony Valencia 10–3 Win 58–15 Vahid Shahmohammadiizad 6–2 2016 US Olympic Team Trials at 86 kg Win 57–15 Andrew Howe 5–2 April 8–10, 2016 2016 US Olympic Team Trials Iowa City, Iowa Loss 56–15 Kyle Dake 4–11 Win 56–14 Austin Trotman 5–2 2015 US Nationals at 86 kg Loss 55–14 Kyle Dake 4–11 December 18–19, 2015 2015 US Nationals – US Olympic Trials Qualifier Las Vegas, Nevada Win 55–13 Richard Perry TF 11–0 Win 54–13 Ed Ruth TF 13–0 2015 Golden Grand Prix 5th at 86 kg Loss 53–13 Ehsan Lashgari TF 0–10 November 27–29, 2015 2015 Golden Grand Prix Baku, Azerbaijan Loss 53–12 Gardiiyev Nurmagomed 0–6 Win 53–11 Umidjon Ismanov 8–4 2015 Stepan Sargsyan Cup at 74 kg Win 52–11 Kakhaber Khubezhty TF 12–2 July 18–19, 2015 2015 Stepan Sargsyan Tournament Yerevan, Armenia Win 51–11 Giya Chikhladze Fall Win 50–11 Ruslan Rubaev Fall 2015 Spain Grand Prix at 74 kg Win 49–11 Carmelo Lumia 12–6 July 11, 2015 2015 Grand Prix of Spain Madrid, Spain Win 48–11 Zhang Chongyao 9–1 Win 47–11 Gong Byung Min 10–1 Win 46–11 Rafael Mota TF 13–0 2015 US World Team Trials at 74 kg Win 45–11 Andrew Howe 6–0 June 12–14, 2015 2015 US World Team Trials Challenge Madison, Wisconsin Loss 44–11 Kyle Dake 2–8 Win 44–10 Tyler Caldwell 5–2 Win 43–10 Liván López TF 18–7 May 12, 2015 2015 Beat The Streets: Salsa in the Square New York City, New York 2015 US Open at 74 kg Win 42–10 Andre Howe 2–0 May 5–9, 2015 2015 US Open National Championships Las Vegas, Nevada Win 41–10 Tyler Caldwell TF 12–2 Win 40–10 Nestor Tafur TF 10–0 Win 39–10 Jacob Butenhoff Fall 2015 Grand Prix Yaşar Doğu 5th at 74 kg Loss 38–10 Khetag Tsabolov 3–9 March 28–29, 2015 2015 Grand Prix Yaşar Doğu Istanbul, Turkey Loss 38–9 Denis Tsargush 3–6 Win 38–8 Bahman Teymouri Fall Win 37–8 Abdullah Arslan 12–4 Win 36–8 Marad Zoidze 6–5 2014 US World Team Trials at 74 kg Loss 35–8 Jordan Burroughs 5–6 May 30–31, 2014 2014 US World Team Trials Madison, Wisconsin Loss 35–7 Jordan Burroughs 2–6 Win 35–6 Andre Howe 3–1 2014 US World Team Trials Challenge Tournament Win 34–6 Quinton Godley TF 10–0 Win 33–6 Jabrayil Hasanov 6–0 May 7, 2014 2014 Beat The Streets: USA vs. The World New York City, New York 2014 US Open at 74 kg Loss 32–6 Jordan Burroughs 6–7 April 16–19, 2014 2014 US Open National Championships Las Vegas, Nevada Win 32–5 Tyler Caldwell 6–0 Win 31–5 Paul Rademacher Fall Win 30–5 Marcus Bausaman TF 13–0 2013 Universidae Games at 74 kg Win 29–5 Gombodorj Dorjvaanchig 10–3 July 11–16, 2013 2013 Summer Universiade Kazan, Russia Win 28–5 Reza Afzali Paemami 7–5 Loss 27–5 Denis Tsargush 4–7 Win 27–4 Apostolos Taskoudis Fall Win 26–4 Zurab Erbotsonashvili 8–4 2013 US World Team Trials at 74 kg Win 25–4 Andrew Howe TF 9-– June 20–22, 2013 2013 US World Team Trials Challenge Stillwater, Oklahoma Win 24–4 Trent Paulson 4–0 Win 23–4 Ryan Morningstar 4–2 Loss 22–4 Kyle Dake 4–7 Win 22–3 Moza Fay TF 9–1 2013 US University Nationals at 74 kg Win 21–3 Quinton Godley Fall May 24–26, 2013 2013 US University National Championships Akron, Ohio Win 20–3 Quinton Godley 3–0 Win 19–3 Ian Miller TF 14–4 Win 18–3 Logan Molina Fall Win 17–3 Geno Morelli TF 13–3 Win 16–3 Jesse Stafford Fall Win 15–3 Robert Schlitt TF 10–0 Win 14–3 Santonio Cathery TF 11–0 Win 13–3 Magomed Kurbanaliev Fall May 15, 2013 2013 Beat The Streets: Rumble on the Rails New York City, New York 2013 US Open at 74 kg Loss 12–3 Jordan Burroughs 1–3, 0–1 April 17–20, 2013 2013 US Open National Championships Las Vegas, Nevada Win 12–2 Nick Marable 2–0, 4–0 Win 11–2 Ryan Morningstar 1–0, 1–0 Win 10–2 Holden Packard TF 9–0, 7–0 2012 US Olympic Team Trials DNP at 74 kg Loss 9–2 Kyle Dake Fall April 21, 2012 2012 US Olympic Team Trials Iowa City, Iowa Win 9–1 Colt Sponseller 2–0, 1–1, 4–2 Win 8–1 Mike Poeta 4–3, 3–1 Loss 7–1 Andrew Howe 0–1, 0–5 Win 7–0 Moza Fay 0–4, 5–3, 3–1 2010 US University Nationals at 70 kg Win 6–0 Matt Lester 3–0, 5–1 April 8–11, 2010 2010 US University National Championships Akron, Ohio Win 5–0 Dean Pavlou TF 7–0, 6–0 Win 4–0 Seth Vernon 1–0, 4–3 Win 3–0 Matt Ballweg 2–1, 1–1, 3–1 Win 2–0 Timmy Boone 2–2, 3–0, 8–2 Win 1–0 Nathan Millman TF 7–0, 6–0

NCAA record

NCAA Championships Matches Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event 2014 NCAA Championships at 165 lbs Win 18-2 Tyler Caldwell 6-0 March 20–22, 2014 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Win 17-2 Steve Monk MD 13-5 Win 16-2 Michael Moreno Fall Win 15-2 Jim Wilson Fall Win 14-2 Joe Brewster Fall 2013 NCAA Championships at 165 lbs Loss 13-2 Kyle Dake 4-5 March 21–23, 2013 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Win 13-1 Peter Yates Fall Win 12-1 Conrad Polz Fall Win 11-1 Zachary Strickland Fall Win 10-1 John Staudenmayer Fall 2012 NCAA Championships at 165 lbs Win 9-1 Brandon Hatchett TF 22-7 March 15–17, 2012 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Win 8-1 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov Fall Win 7-1 Robert Kokesh Fall Win 6-1 Brandon Wright Fall Win 5-1 Corey Lear Fall 2011 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs Loss 4-1 Bubba Jenkins Fall March 17–20, 2011 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Win 4-0 Steven Fittery 7-1 Win 3-0 Derek St. John 6-3 Win 2-0 David Bonin TF 20-5 Win 1-0 Neil Erisman MD 13-2

Awards and honors

2021
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011

Endorsements

In 2015, Taylor and Adidas released a line of wrestling apparel labeled "M2" after Taylor's college nickname "Magic Man".[90] Taylor received the nickname after a collegiate match in which he turned an unfavorable situation for himself into an advantage.[91] The apparel line began with wrestling shoes and has since expanded to clothing, posters and Adidas sponsored events.

See also

List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians

References

  1. ^ Chris Bumbaca (August 5, 2021). "American David Taylor, aka 'Magic Man,' wins gold in Tokyo Olympics 86kg freestyle wrestling". USA Today. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  2. ^ "David Taylor Biography". Team USA. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "USA's David Taylor Wins Gold In Men's Freestyle 86kg Wrestling". NBC Connecticut. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  4. ^ "Five things you did not know about USA wrestling star David Taylor". Olympic Channel. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Hassan Yazdani finally overcomes David Taylor". Tehran Times. October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "2022 World Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 18, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "About DT | David Taylor". www.m2wrestling.com. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  8. ^ "Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award State Winners Announced | National Wrestling Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Hipps, Andrew. "Iowa State-bound Taylor not afraid of challenges". Intermat. Intermat. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
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