Coming off nine medals in Tokyo, US Olympic wrestlers seeking gold at world championships
Cody GoodwinDavid Taylor had two goals this year: win Olympic gold, then win a second world title.
Easy enough, right?
Taylor, the 30-year-old men’s freestyle wrestling star for the United States, met his first goal eight weeks ago in Tokyo by winning gold at 86 kilograms (189 pounds). He scored a takedown with 18 seconds left to defeat Iran’s Hassan Yazdani, 4-3, in the final.
Over the next week, he’ll get a crack at the second part of his to-do list at the 2021 world championships, beginning Saturday and continuing through Oct. 10 in Oslo, Norway.
“My plan this whole year was to win the Olympics and win a world championship, even knowing it was an eight-week turnaround,” Taylor said last week at a world team training camp. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go out and wrestle.”
Yes, eight weeks ago, USA Wrestling produced a historic performance at the Tokyo Olympics, winning nine medals, which is the most by the U.S. at a non-boycotted Games.
Of the nine, three were gold: from Taylor, Gable Steveson at 125 kilos (275 pounds), and women’s wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock at 68 kilos (150). That’s the most by a U.S. Olympic team since they won three at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The 2021 world championships serve as a unique (and quick) follow-up opportunity for these high-flying American wrestlers.
“We need to show that we’re consistent in what we do, from competition to competition,” said Terry Steiner, the U.S. women’s freestyle head coach. “Some people will look at that as pressure, but pressure is a privilege.
“We’ve put ourselves in a position where people are talking about the American team. We should take that as a compliment, and let that push us forward instead of taking it as a burden.”
Kyle Dake 'hungry' to get back out there
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Olympics back a year, but United World Wrestling, the sport’s international governing body, did not move its 2021 world championship event.
As such, USA Wrestling announced before Tokyo that any U.S. Olympic medalist could opt to compete at the same weight at the world championships. Of the nine medalists from Tokyo, eight are competing in Oslo. Steveson, who is still a student at the University of Minnesota, was the only one to decline.
“It’s like the college days,” said Kyle Dake, a two-time world champion who won bronze in Tokyo at 74 kilos (163 pounds). “You get back, settle down for a little bit, then you’re right into training again. It feels good. I feel hungry to get back out there.
“I’m happy with my medal (in Tokyo), but disappointed with the overall performance. So to have a chance to go out there and make it right, I’m excited.”
At the Olympics, only six weights are contested in all three styles — men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, Greco-Roman. At non-Olympic world championships, 10 weights are contested.
The rest of the U.S. teams were decided at the world team trials event in Lincoln, Neb., earlier this month. Each roster features a blend of young talent, experienced veterans, and, in the case of men’s freestyle, some serious firepower.
Kyle Snyder, Thomas Gilman on team in Oslo
Along with Taylor and Dake, Kyle Snyder won silver in Tokyo at 97-kg and Thomas Gilman won bronze at 57-kg. Joining them in Oslo are familiar names:
- Jordan Burroughs, a five-time world and Olympic champ who’s now up at 79-kg;
- Nick Gwiazdkowski, a two-time world bronze medalist at 125-kg;
- J’den Cox, a two-time world champ and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist who missed weight at the 2020 Olympic Trials but is now at 92-kg;
- James Green, a two-time world silver medalist at 70-kg;
- Daton Fix, a two-time NCAA finalist from Oklahoma State who’s on his second Senior world team at 61-kg;
- and Yianni Diakomihalis, a two-time NCAA champ from Cornell who will compete at his first-ever Senior-level world championship event at 65-kg.
“Yianni is really intelligent,” said Bill Zadick, the U.S. men’s freestyle head coach. “He’s a great technician. He’s a great competitor. But what makes him unique is that he loves wrestling. I think you see that in all of these guys. They love the everyday process.
“On paper, I think we have one of the greatest teams ever, but we still have to go perform … I think these guys are going to be really exciting, really fun, and make us all proud.”
17-year-old Kylie Welker makes US team
The women’s team is led by Mensah-Stock as well as Adeline Gray, a five-time world champ who won silver in Tokyo; Helen Maroulis, America’s first two-time Olympic medalist in women’s wrestling; and Sarah Hildebrandt, who won bronze in Tokyo.
Behind them is a mix of youth and experience:
- Amy Fearnside, a University world silver medalist back in 2014, at 53-kg;
- Jenna Burkert, who lost to Maroulis in the finals of the Olympic Trials, then beat Olympian and world champ Jacarra Winchester at the world team trials at 55-kg;
- Maya Nelson, a Junior world champion, at 59-kg;
- Kayla Miracle, a Tokyo Olympian who reclaimed her world-team spot at 62-kg;
- Forrest Molinari, who’s twice reached the bronze-medal match at the 2018 and 2019 world championships, at 65-kg;
- and Kylie Welker, a 17-year-old Wisconsin native who lost to Gray in the Olympic Trials finals, won a Junior world title in August, and is now on the Senior world team at 72-kg.
The U.S. Greco team has only won three total medals since 2013 at the world and Olympic level. Andy Bisek was a two-time bronze-medal winner in 2014 and 2015, and Adam Coon won silver in 2018.
“We’re going to go out there and compete in every single match,” said Matt Lindland, the U.S. Greco head coach. “We didn’t come home with any (medals) at the Olympics, but I can’t fault those guys for not competing hard.
“They went out there, made attempts, attacked. They were wrestling some of the best guys in the world, but we have some of the best guys in the world. I’m confident we’ll come back from Oslo with some medals.”
Cody Goodwin covers wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.
USA Wrestling’s 2021 World Teams
Men’s Freestyle
57-kg: Thomas Gilman
61-kg: Daton Fix
65-kg: Yianni Diakomihalis
70-kg: James Green
74-kg: Kyle Dake
79-kg: Jordan Burroughs
86-kg: David Taylor
92-kg: J’den Cox
97-kg: Kyle Snyder
125-kg: Nick Gwiazdowski
Women’s Freestyle
50-kg: Sarah Hildebrandt
53-kg: Amy Fearnside
55-kg: Jenna Burkert
57-kg: Helen Maroulis
59-kg: Maya Nelson
62-kg: Kayla Miracle
65-kg: Forrest Molinari
68-kg: Tamyra Mensah-Stock
72-kg: Kylie Welker
76-kg: Adeline Gray
Greco-Roman
55-kg: Max Nowry
60-kg: Dalton Roberts
63-kg: Sam Jones
67-kg: Peyton Omania
72-kg: Pat Smith
77-kg: Jesse Porter
82-kg: Ben Provisor
87-kg: Alan Vera
97-kg: G’Angelo Hancock
130-kg: Cohlton Schultz
