David Taylor: All you need to know about Deepak Punia's wrestling semifinal opponent
American wrestler David Taylor will face India's Deepak Punia in the semifinals of the 2021 Olympics. Deepak Punia, who represents India in the 86kg freestyle category, defeated Chinese wrestler Zushen Lin by a 6-3 margin to enter the last four.
David Taylor is the most decorated and prolific name in the freestyle wrestling world and will remain a hot favorite to win a medal in 86kg.
David Taylor's major achievements:
Pan American Championships
2021 gold medallist (Guatemala)
2019 gold medallist (Buenos Aires)
2018 gold medallist (Lima)
World Championships
2018 gold medallist (Budapest)
World Cup
2018 gold medallist (Iowa City)
2017 silver medallist (Kermanshah)
David Taylor's the Magic Man
Quite a few popular wrestlers have earned themselves a nickname for sure. Well, the wrestling world considers David Taylor to be a magician.
Taylor's nickname was given to him during his Penn State University days and then as a professional, because he was and is known for his miraculous comeback victories.
His relentless ability to fight back led to stunning victories during the 2018 World Championships. Taylor surrendered an early lead to Yazdani in the first round before fighting his way back and pulling off a stunning victory, which is still considered one of the best battles.
David Taylor vs Deepak Punia head to head:
David Taylor and Deepak Punia have never faced each other. Deepak Punia has entered the Olympics ranked number 2 in the 86kg freestyle category.
The two will face each other later today.
David Taylor's Olympic records:
In 2012, Taylor competed at the US Olympic Team Trials, where he lost. In 2016, he again failed to qualify. The Tokyo Olympics is his first appearance at the Olympics.
After almost a full year of no competition, Taylor returned to wrestle at the Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament earlier this year. He made a strong comeback, won three matches and comfortably qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
David Taylor's injury setback
David suffered a knee injury and had to go under the knife in 2019 due to which he could not compete the whole year. He was supposed to face Pat Downey in the World Championships but had to pull out due to his injury. He has done remarkably well after healing from his injury.
David Taylor vs Deepak Punia: Date and time
David Taylor vs Deepak Punia bout will be held on August 4 at approx. 3:00pm IST.
David Taylor vs Deepak Punia match telecast
The Olympics will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Live broadcasts will be available in different languages on Sony Sports Network. The audience can also live stream the events on SonyLIV. Doordarshan will live telecast India's events at the Tokyo Olympics.
Also read: India in Tokyo Olympics 2021 India Schedule