David Taylor Wins Gold, USA Grabs 4 Medals

Photo: Geoff Riccio

David Taylor is World Champion as he scored early and often routing his finals opponent with a 12-2 technical fall. Taylor survived the Saturday draw by taking control of matches against Iran & Russia with second period momentum and relentless attacks. Taylor didn’t need such a surge in the final. He sprinted out of the tunnel, gave a fist pump to the stands, and quickly was a World Champion. He becomes USA’s first gold at 84/86 kg since his coach did it in 2004, Cael Sanderson.

USA went four for four in the medal round in Budapest’s first four weight classes. Jordan Burroughs got his rematch with Chamizo (Italy). Some phantom points and questionable officiating made Burroughs trail with less than thirty seconds left, but USA’s leader dug deep and found a score to win bronze. The medal gives him seven Olympic/World medals which means only Bruce Baumgartner has brought home more in American Men’s Freestyle history.

Joe Colon had a tough opponent from Iran in his bronze medal match, but he got to a couple attacks before a trap arm gut wrench broke the match wide open. Colon has a medal which is impressive and additional credit deserved for being an alternate.

Nick Gwiazdowski finished the medal round sweep with a dominant win over India. Gwiz is 2 for 2 in medals making him the first American Men’s Freestyle heavyweight to claim consecutive medals since Bruce Baumgartner in 1995 & 1996.

USA will have three more in the finals tomorrow. Kyle Dake destroyed everyone including a highlight 5-point suplex. Dake looked unbelievable finishing tech’s in each of his three matches.

J’Den Cox will also wrestle for gold tomorrow. Cox needed to avenge a loss from the World Cup in his first round, but he broke the second period open with back to back takedowns over Georgia. He also lodged an impressive win over Iran in the semifinals which as an added benefit knocked Russia out of the tournament. The finals appearance gives Cox three medals in three consecutive World/Olympic Championships.

Thomas Gilman also avenged a loss from the World Cup when he handled Azerbaijan in his second match. Things didn’t go his way in the semifinal falling behind early and then giving up points having to force the issue. Gilman will wrestle for bronze in tomorrow’s finals.

For the second year in a row, the blind draw did no favors to Logan Stieber. He lost a hard fought battle with Chakaev (Russia) 7-5. Chakaev lost to Japan in them semifinal which eliminated Stieber from the tournament.

USA sits in first place with two returning finalists, Kyle Snyder & James Green yet to wrestle. The Americans sit in a great position to not only win back to back team titles, but also post a World Championship result that could only be rivaled by the 1984 Olympics which were the Soviet boycott.

57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Thomas Gilman, Iowa City, Iowa (Titan Mercury WC/Hawkeye WC)
WIN Givi Davidovi (Italy), 6-3
WIN Giorgi Edisherashvili (Azerbaijan), 4-0
LOSS Nurislam Sanayev (Kazakhstan). 11-0
Bronze Medal Match – to be determined

65 kg/143 lbs. - Logan Stieber, Columbus, Ohio (Titan Mercury WC/Ohio RTC)
LOSS Akhmed Chakaev (Russia), 7-5 

79 kg/174 lbs. - Kyle Dake, Ithaca, N.Y. (Titan Mercury WC/New York RTC)
WIN Martin Obst (Germany), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Davit Khutsishvili (Georgia), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Akhmed Gazhimagomedov (Russia), tech. fall 13-0
Gold Medal Finals – vs. Jabrayil Hasanov (Azerbaijan)

92 kg/202.5 lbs. - J’den Cox, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)
WIN Dato Marsagishvili (Georgia), 6-2
WIN Nicolai Ceban (Moldova), 6-0
WIN Alireza Karimimachiani (Iran). 5-2
Gold-Medal Finals – Vs. Ivan Yankouski (Belarus)

61 kg/134 lbs. – Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC), bronze medal
WIN Ivan Bileichuk (Ukraine), 9-6
WIN Vladimir Dubov (Bulgaria), tech. fall 10-0
LOSS Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba), 9-4
WIN Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi (Iran), tech. fall 13-2 

74 kg/163 lbs. - Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids/Nebraska WTC), bronze medal
WIN Venicious Juah (Liberia), forfeit
WIN Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran), 4-3
LOSS Zaurbek Sidakov (Russia), 6-5
WIN Miroslav Kirov (Bulgaria), 9-0
WIN Frank Chamizo (Italy), 4-4

86 kg/189 lbs. - David Taylor, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC), gold medal
WIN Hassan Yazdani Charati (Iran), 11-6
WIN Hajy Rajabau (Belarus), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Yurieski Torreblanca (Cuba), 8-0
WIN Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), 7-5
WIN Fatih Erdin (Turkey), tech. fall 12-2

125 kg/275 lbs. - Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC), bronze medal
WIN Zolboo Natsatgsuren, 9-4
LOSS Zhiwei Deng (China), 5-4
WIN Amar Dhesi (Canada), 7-0 
WIN Sumit (India), 7-2

Medal Match results

61 kg 
Gold - Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba) dec. Gadzimurad Rashidov (Russia), 6-5
Bronze – Joe Colon (USA) tech. fall Mohammedbagher Yakhkeshi (Iran), 13-2
Bronze - Tuvshingulga Tumenbileg (Mongolia) dec. Beka Lomtadze (Georgia), 6-3

74 kg 
Gold - Zaurbek Sidakov (Russia) dec. Avtandil Kentchadze (Georgia), 2-2
Bronze –Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Frank Chamizo (Italy), 4-4
Bronze - Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) dec. Soner Demirtas (Turkey), 3-2

86 kg 
Gold - David Taylor (USA) tech. fall Fatih Erdin (Turkey), 12-2
Bronze – Taymuraz Friev (Spain) dec. Kim Gwanuk (Korea), 7-2
Bronze - Hassan Yazdani Charati (Iran) dec. Dauren Kurugliev (Russia), 11-5

125 kg 
Gold - Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) dec. Zhiwei Deng (China), 6-0
Bronze – Nick Gwiazdowski (USA) dec. Sumit (India), 7-2
Bronze – Parviz Hadi Basmanj (Iran) dec. Anzor Khizriev (Russia), 11-2