“My goal is to always be the best” - Olympic champ David Taylor shares his mindset ahead of U.S. Olympics Team Trials 2024

American freestyle wrestler David Taylor recently talked about his mindset ahead of the U.S. Olympics Team Trials 2024 Wrestling, slated for April 19 and April 20, 2024, at State College in Pennsylvania.

Taylor will feature in the men’s freestyle 86 kg at the upcoming trials which will determine the U.S. squad for the Paris Olympics 2024. He will be aiming to make it to the USA team in a bid to defend his Olympic title.

On X (formerly Twitter), Team USA, which gives updates on the nation’s athletes’ road to the Paris Olympics and Paris Paralympics 2024, featured a statement by Taylor from a recent interview where he talked about his mentality ahead of the trials. Dubbed as Magic Man, Taylor said:

“My goal is to always be the best and I think in order to do that, you have to continue to improve. Whether you're trying to separate yourself from other people or you're trying to close the gap, you're never staying the same.”

In the 86 kg category in the U.S. Olympics Team Trials 2024, Taylor will face the winner of the Challenge Series from Day 1 of the team trials in the Best-of-Three Championship Series, scheduled for Day 2 of the U.S. Olympics Team Trials 2024.

He automatically qualified for the Best-of-Three final after clinching the gold medal at the World Wrestling Championships 2023 in Belgrade, earning an Olympic quota for the nation in the 86 kg category. In the final, he beat Hassan Yazdani from Iran by pinning him while leading 9-3.

The champion from the Best-of-Three final will get to represent the U.S. at the Paris Olympics 2024. In the men’s 86kg, some of the wrestlers who can give Taylor a stiff challenge are Aaron Brooks, and Chance Marsteller, among others.

A look at David Taylor’s performance at Tokyo Olympics 2020

David Taylor poses with his medal during the Victory Ceremony at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

David Taylor clinched the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 held in 2021 as he overcame arch-rival Yazdani, recovering from a 3-2 deficit to score 4-3 in the final 0:21 seconds.

On his way to the final, he had captured victories against all his three previous opponents, Carlos Izquierdo (Round of 16), Ali Shabanau (Quarters), and Deepak Punia (Semi-finals) via technical superiority.

Earlier, David Taylor secured a place in the USA team after winning twice against Bo Nickal, the then U23 World champion, in the Best-of-Three finals during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials 2020.