David Taylor gets his hand raised after win at thew Pan American Olympic Qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)They call him the Magic Man.
And something still magical happens whenever the dynamic 29-year-old steps onto a wrestling mat.
Even after a 10-month layoff.
David Taylor is back on the mat and looking every bit like an Olympic gold medal contender.
The 2018 world champion turned in a dominant performance in capturing a freestyle title at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier March 15 in Ottawa, Canada.
Taylor qualified Team USA in his weight class of 86 kilograms for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. He also earned the No. 1 seed for the challenge tournament at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
"I felt great," Taylor said. "To not be able to compete for as long as I did, it was encouraging to have those kinds of results. I felt as strong and as fast as I've ever felt. It was awesome to be back and I'm excited to be competing again."
David Taylor with a Pan American Olympic Qualifier gold medal (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Taylor's wide-open, attacking style was on full display in Canada. He rolled past Pedro Ceballos of Venezuela 10-0 before downing Cuba's Yuri Torreblanca 8-0 in the semifinals. He won by injury default over Peru's Pool Ambrocio in the finals.
Taylor made his first U.S. Senior World Team two years ago and cashed in by earning a gold medal at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Taylor was ranked No. 1 in the world when he suffered a major knee injury in May 2019 at the Beat the Streets event in New York City.
"Last year was really challenging," Taylor said. "I was the reigning world champion, and I had every belief and intention of doing that again. To miss out on that opportunity, it was very challenging. I just had to stay focused. I had a good team of people around me to keep me on track. It was a long road back, but it's great to be back wrestling again."
Taylor targeted the Pan Am Qualifier as the tournament he wanted to return for.
"I met the criteria to be the guy to compete for the U.S. in that event and that was the tournament I was shooting for," he said. "I knew I could control my own destiny and qualify the weight class for the Olympics."
Taylor was expected to compete in front of his home fans at the U.S. Olympic Trials next month at Penn State, but the event was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are all in the same boat," he said. "We have to control what we can. My viewpoint is to keep preparing and be ready to go. There is obviously some uncertainty involved. I just have to make the most of my opportunities and stay focused."
Taylor said it was difficult seeing the cancellation of the NCAA Championships. He was a four-time finalist and two-time champion at that event.
"It's obviously sad to see it not being held," he said. "The NCAA tournament is such a big event and this year it was going to be the biggest in history. I feel bad for all of the wrestlers who have worked hard to prepare for that tournament. It's unfortunate and it's tough."
During his long road back after his injury, Taylor became bigger and stronger. That was evident with the physical style he wrestled with during his matches at the Pan Am event.
"I have a great strength and conditioning program that I follow," he said. "I'm definitely stronger than I've ever been. I'm as prepared as I possibly can be now to compete in this weight class. I'm a solid 86 kilos. I believe in what I can bring for six minutes."
David Taylor battles Drew Foster at Beat The Streets (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Taylor, a two-time Hodge Trophy winner for Penn State, doesn't have to look far to find quality competition in practice.
"I have great training partners at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club," he said. "I believe I had the greatest training environment in the world before (2016 Olympic champion) Kyle Snyder came here. I am constantly challenged with a lot of different guys. It's an ideal situation for me to train in."
Taylor also stays busy running a successful wrestling club for athletes in the State College area.
"Our club is doing really well -- I'm excited to see it growing," he said. "It's our third year and our young guys are making great progress. The wrestlers have a great environment to train in and we have great coaches for them to work with. It's really enjoyable for me to be a part of it. I remember what it was like to be in their shoes. It's awesome to be able to help them achieve their goals."
Taylor has his own goals he has been dreaming about since he was a kid.
"I started thinking about the Olympics when I was 8 years old," he said. "My dad asked me to write my goals down back then and one of them was to win the Olympics. I didn't really know what that meant at the time, but I knew it was something important."
Taylor competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, but fell short of the finals both times. He placed third in 2016.
This time, he enters as the favorite in his weight class at the 2020 Olympic Trials.
"I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "The Olympics are what drives me and motivates me. I'm looking forward to fulfilling that lifelong dream and becoming an Olympic champion."
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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