David Taylor announces major career decision ahead of highly anticipated return at 2024 World Championships

2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist David Taylor is all set to return to the wrestling mat at the World Wrestling Championships 2024. The Championships is set to be held from October 28-31 in Albania.

Taylor had announced his retirement from wrestling earlier this year in May and was also named as the wrestling head coach of Oklahoma State University. However, he made a return to the mat last month in September where he won the 92kg bracket after beating Zahid Valencia at the World Team Trials and qualified for the US team at the World Championships where he will be aiming for his third consecutive gold medal.

David Taylor expressed his excitement about wrestling at the Championships through a press meet. He said (via Oklahoma State University Athletics News):

"It's something that everyone in this room is aspiring to do. So, I think it's a good thing for the guys to continue to see that. I'm excited to go wrestle."

Speaking about his retirement plans after the 2024 World Wrestling Championships, Taylor said:

"Yeah this is it definitely. You know I think between now and World Championships, it starts to hit you about the significance of what you are balancing and it's a lot."

David Taylor won a gold medal last time around in the Championships when he defeated Iran's Hassan Yazdani in the final match of the 86kg bracket.

In 2024, Taylor will be teaming up with Vito Arujau, James Green, and Jordan Burroughs as part of the United States freestyle team in the Championships. Arujau, Green, and Burroughs will be competing in 61, 70, and 79 kg weight brackets, respectively.

David Taylor can go up against 2-time Olympic gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev at the 2024 World Wrestling Championships

Taylor at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade after winning the final match (Image Getty)

David Taylor can face two-time Olympic gold medalist Abdulrashid Sadulaev at the 2024 World Wrestling Championships in the 92 Kg bracket. This comes after Sadulaev won the 92kg bracket at the 2024 Russian Nationals a few weeks ago

Sadulaev made it to the Championships side after defeating Alan Bagaev in the Russian Nationals in a close encounter by a margin of 10-7 to increase the odds of a contest with David Taylor at the Albania event.

Sadulaev is one of the most decorated wrestlers in perspective of the World Championships, having won the gold medal in the tournament five times in his career along with a silver medal in 2017.