Pictured: Team USA's 2020 86kg Olympic gold medalist David Taylor. Taylor will face Iran's Hassan Yazdani in the 2021 World Championships gold-medal match tomorrow afternoon. Photo by Tony Rotundo/Wrestlers Are Warriors.
After a nearly-perfect session one for Team USA at the 2021 Senior World Championship Saturday, October 2, from Jordal Amfi in Oslo, Norway, the U.S. kept that momentum going in session two.
In session two, Daton Fix (61kg), Kyle Dake (74kg), and David Taylor (86kg) took to the mats for the semifinal round of the Senior World Championships. All three won convincingly to make the World finals tomorrow afternoon.
https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1444326456213995524
Daton Fix got off to an utterly electric start for the United States. Fix stormed to a 10-0 technical superiority decision over two-time Junior World bronze medalist (2017 and 2018), Arsen Harutyunyan (Armenia).
Fix's fourth win of the day came by way of an inside trip right into a trapped-arm gut for four turns and a quick 10-0 victory in 35 seconds! The Okie State Cowbowy has now teched his way to the World finals.
https://twitter.com/CowboyWrestling/status/1444310849225646088
Kyle Dake followed up with a strong showing of his own against Azamat Nurykau (Belarus). The 2020 Olympic bronze medalist countered a Nurykau attempt and turned it into a takedown for himself. Dake's gut wrench gave him an additional six points to further extend the lead. With three turns, Kyle lead 8-0 at the break.
In the second period, the match was uneventful. Kyle gave up a step-out and earned a caution-and-one point in his favor. Dake held on to win 9-1 and advance.
https://twitter.com/wrestling/status/1444327814635868162
In Team USA's final semifinal matchup of the day, 2020 Olympic gold medalist David Taylor gave up the first takedown of the bout to Abubakr Abakarov (Azerbaijan), but responded accordingly, thereafter.
D.T. scored a takedown and a turn, then ran a bar and a half-nelson to get the pin over the the 2019 U23 World silver medalist. It took just 95 seconds to secure the fall.
https://twitter.com/wrestling/status/1444341072403050496
https://twitter.com/wrestling/status/1444340347379793925
With that, the U.S. was three-for-three in the semifinal round, and the trio gave up a combined three points on the day.
In the semifinals at 125kg, Iran's Amir Zare (Iran), a 2020 Tokyo bronze medalist, earned a 4-0 win over seven-time World/Olympic medalist Taha Akgül (Turkey). By virtue of the decision, Tem USA's Nick Gwiazdowski is brought back into the tournament.
Gwizz, a two-time World bronze medalist in his own right, will compete in repechage Sunday during session three.
Also, during session three early tomorrow, men's freestylers Thomas Gilman (57kg), Yianni Diakomihalis (65 kg), Jordan Burroughs (79kg), and J'den Cox (92kg) start their individual tournaments.
USA Wrestling's Session One Recap
https://twitter.com/USAWrestling/status/1444284793999474696
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