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Olympic Wrestling: Penn State legend David Taylor wins gold for Team USA

By Chris Snyder

Aug 4, 2021; Chiba, Japan; David Moris Taylor III (USA) defeats Deepak Punia (IND) in the men's freestyle 86kg semifinal during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Makuhari Messe Hall A. Mandatory Credit: Mandi Wright-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 4, 2021; Chiba, Japan; David Moris Taylor III (USA) defeats Deepak Punia (IND) in the men's freestyle 86kg semifinal during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Makuhari Messe Hall A. Mandatory Credit: Mandi Wright-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former Penn State Wrestling legend David Taylor wins wrestling gold in the 86kg freestyle

How’s that for a triumphant return to the world wrestling stage, David Taylor?

Are you all not entertained?

David “Magic Man” Taylor pulled off an incredible comeback in the final 20 seconds of his match against Iran’s Hassan Yazdani to win the gold medal match 4-3.

Taylor, the former four-time B1G champion, two-time NCAA champion, three-time U.S. Open champion, three-time Pan American champion, world cup winner and world champion in 2018, had not wrestled against the best of the best in the world since an injury prior to the 2019 World Championships. And people like myself, certainly had questions on how he would fair against Yazdani.

Well those questions can now be balled up, thrown in a dumpster, and then set on fire as David Taylor became the first Penn State Wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal.

Taylor is now undefeated in his last 52 international matches and is a perfect 3-0 against Hassan Yazdani.

And something tells me David Taylor isn’t going to let anyone take his wrestling crown anytime soon.

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