From: United World Wrestling Press [email protected] Subject: Taylor Tops Yazdani in Olympic Clash of Titans; Kawai Completes Sibling Double Date: August 5, 2021 at 11:44 AM To: [email protected] Taylor Tops Yazdani in Olympic Clash of Titans; Kawai Completes Sibling Double By Ken Marantz CHIBA, Japan (August 5) -- In a clash of the titans that will go down in the annals of Olympic wrestling history, David TAYLOR (USA) showed just why he is called "The Magic Man." Taylor pulled out a victory for the ages with a late takedown to defeat superstar Hassan YAZDANI (IRI) 4-3 in a nail-biting freestyle 86kg final on Thursday, preventing the Iranian from becoming the first two-time Olympic champion in his wrestling-mad country's history. "I like to win 10-0, but getting it done in the last seconds feels pretty good, too," Taylor said following his triumph at Makuhari Messe Hall A. Meanwhile, Risako KAWAI (JPN) became the third two-time Olympic champion in women's wrestling history, but more importantly for her, achieved the dream of a sibling double with younger sister Yukako. And Zaur UGUEV (ROC) added an Olympic gold at freestyle 57kg to his two world titles by breaking the hearts of the world's second-most populated country India. The 30-year-old Taylor has now won all three career meetings with Yazdani, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion at 74kg who had dominated at 86kg in recent years as the American recovered from knee surgery, . “I don’t want to talk about wins over this guy because he’s helped me become a better wrestler," Taylor said. "For wrestling fans around the world, that we could wrestle in a gold-medal match was pretty special. We are both great representatives of the sport in the way that we carry ourselves and compete." In the final, the first period was limited to an activity point awarded to Yazdani. In the second period, the Iranian received a penalty point after Taylor dropped to his knees at the edge and shuffled out of bounds, a tactic he used several times to avoid stepouts. But it also seemed to light a fire in Taylor, who scored a takedown with a well-executed single leg, only to see Yazdani take back the lead with a stepout to make it 3-2. With the clock ticking down, Taylor suddenly exploded with a double-leg takedown that seemed to take Yazdani off guard, giving the American the lead with 17 seconds left that he defended to the end. “He didn’t want to get in scrambles, he didn’t want to shoot, he wanted to make it a push-out, shot-clock match," Taylor said. "He did a good job of doing that. “I think he only tried three times to score. I always say that if you want to be the best in the world, you'll need to take people down twice. You need to get two takedowns. Tonight was a good example of that. I needed two takedowns.” The 30-year-old Taylor won his first and only senior world title in 2018 in Budapest, where he defeated Yazdani in the first round. With his latest triumph, the American has finally reached the pinnacle of the sport that so many others had expected of him. "You envision that so many times in so many ways, but nothing is like the real thing," Taylor said. "To be in the moment where the preparation and the hard work that you put in, the determination to want to win is really put to the test. "You can easily say, 'Maybe next time,' or you find a way to do it. You can envision it over and over again, but when you’re there, there is nothing like that moment to be present in and seize that opportunity.” Risako KAWAI (JPN) with the 57kg gold medal. (Photo: UWW / Kadir Caliskan) Kawai capped a years-long journey to the 57kg gold, in which she had to knock off two other Rio 2016 champions along the way, by posting a solid 5-0 victory over Iryna KURACHKINA (BLR) in the final. Kawai scored with a spin-behind takedown in the first period, then added a stepout and defensive takedown in the second. Kurachkina launched a desperate attack at the end, and got a hold of Kawai's ankle at one point, but the Japanese escaped and held on for the win. "I kept my eyes on her up to the last second," Kawai said. "Yukako had the match she had, so I felt like losing was not an option." On Wednesday, Yukako Kawai won the 62kg gold in her Olympic debut, then watched from the stands to see her older sister's latest triumph -- just as Risako had done the night before. With her second gold, Kawai joins compatriots Kaori ICHO (JPN) and Saori YOSHIDA (JPN) as the only multiple Olympic champions in women's wrestling. Icho won an unprecedented four golds and Yoshida three following the addition of women's wrestling to the Olympic program in 2004. Icho, who won her final gold in Rio, had set out to win a fifth, but Kawai, who took the Rio 63kg title, dropped down to 57kg to set up a showdown between the two for the spot. Kawai won out, then clinched her ticket to the Tokyo Olympics by winning a third straight world title in 2019. On Wednesday, Kawai won a semifinal clash with Helen MAROULIS (USA), who had beaten Yoshida in the 53kg final in Rio. "To say there was no pressure would be a lie," Kawai said. "Compared to Rio, it was heavier for each and every match. But I had to become an athlete who can handle that pressure." Zaur UGUEV (ROC) won the 57kg gold in Tokyo. (Photo: UWW / Martin Gabor) At freestyle 57kg, two-time reigning world champion Zaur UGUEV (ROC) spoiled India's dreams of having its first-ever Olympic champion when he scraped together a 7-4 victory in the final over Ravi KUMAR (IND). In repeating his semifinal win over Kumar from the 2019 World Championships, Uguev started off with a pair of stepouts. The Indian responded with a duck-under takedown, but Uguev answered with a high-crotch takedown to end the first period leading 4-2. Uguev added a stepout in the second period, followed by a shrug-go behind takedown that all but put the match out of reach. Kumar got a consolation takedown at the end. "The medal is heavy, probably the heaviest of those that I have, and the most important," Uguev said. "Of course, medals from the World Championship are also important, but this one is special. I want to dedicate the gold medal to my father." For Uguev, the toughest part of his road to gold was at the beginning, when he narrowly won his first two matches, needing to score late points in both to survive. "The path was not easy," Uguev said. "Usually the finals are the most difficult, but here the first two meetings were not easy. I was losing and in the end I managed to show character. I didn't want to lose, and everything worked out for me." Kumar was just the second Olympic finalist in Indian history, and like Sushil KUMAR (IND) at the 2012 London Olympics, he will be heading home with a silver medal. Not the color he wanted, but still well-earned. Asked if he saw any difference in Kumar from two years ago, Uguev replied, "I can't say that during this time Ravi has changed--perhaps he got a little more endurance. But I went through such training that it was impossible to lose." In bronze-medal matches, American-born Myles AMINE (SMR) gave the tiny European principality and land of his maternal great-grandfather San Marino its first-ever Olympic wrestling medal with a hard-fought 4-2 win over 2019 world silver medalist Deepak PUNIA (IND) at freestyle 86kg. Amine, the 2020 European silver medalist, trailed 2-1 when he scored a spin-behind takedown with 10 seconds left, with the final point added for an unsuccessful challenge. Amine, who holds dual citizenship and was the first wrestler to ever qualify San Marino for the Olympics, could have become the nation's first-ever Olympic medalist, but last week, the shooting team beat him to the punch with a bronze in the women's trap and a silver in the mixed team trap. "It was funny, when they won, I was a little bit like, ‘Ugh, I wanted to be the first,'" Amine said. "But there was also a little sense of relief, no pressure now, I don’t have to be the first. It is actually, looking back now, I’m so excited that I get to share it with two other athletes." The other 86kg bronze went to 2019 world bronze medalist Artur NAIFONOV (ROC), a 2-0 winner over Javrail SHAPIEV (UZB) after a stepout and activity clock point in the first period. Rio champion Helen MAROULIS (USA) bounced back from her loss to Risako Kawai in the women's 57kg semifinals by rolling to a 11-0 technical fall over Khongorzul BOLDSAIKHAN (MGL) to take home a bronze. Maroulis said she has come to terms with missing out on a second straight gold, and is content with being a two-time medalist. "I was thinking about it -- why am I not more sad?" Maroulis said. "I spent four years trying to get back my wrestling, the way that it felt and just being able to not have fear and be healthy.