David Taylor is a man on a mission.
The Penn State great is into the gold medal match at the Olympics after he topped India's Deepak Punia 10-0 in the 86 kg semifinals.
Taylor is set for a highly-anticipated showdown with Iran's Hassan Yazdanicharati, who also sped through the bracket's first three bouts.
Here's how Thursday's championship bout came to be in addition to updates on other NLWC wrestlers.
How Taylor made it to the gold medal match
In a word, he made it with ease.
Taylor was as dominant as any wrestler in any weight class during the first round, quarterfinals, and semifinals. He needed just 4:05 to beat Ali Shabanau of Belarus 11-0 in his opener before former Michigan grappler and San Marino representative Myles Amine by a 12-2 count in 3:55.
From there, Taylor took a break for a few hours and then returned to the mat and steamrolled Punia 10-0 with a barrage of takedowns and turns before the first period even ended, as he has yet to need a full amount of match time to win.
Previewing the gold medal match
Hassan Yazdanicharati also didn't participate in any close bouts on his way to the finals from the other side of the bracket.
The Iranian kicked things off with an 11-2 win before scoring triumphs by scores of 12-1 and 7-1.
It sets up a third match between the two. Taylor pinned Yazdanicharati at the 20117 World Cup and won 11-6 despite trailing at 2018 Worlds en route to the title in that tournament.
Taylor will be a favorite to stay perfect against Yazdanicharati but it should be a dog fight from the opening whistle.
How can I watch and when is the gold medal match?
Update: Wrestling starts at about 6:15 am ET Thursday, and Taylor is match six on Mat B, so sometime between 6:30-7 a.m. he should be on the mat. NBC says it could be closer to 7:30, so follow Twitter @GregPickel or visit our free thread in The Wrestling Room board for the latest times.
The Olympic Channel is home to all wrestling at this year's games.
Comcast users can find it on channel 898, and it is 105/624 on DirecTV, 389 on DISH Network, 149 on FIOS, and 667 on AT&T. Note that some areas may be different; consult your TV guide for specific information.
Streaming can be found at olympicchannel.com and also on the NBC Sports app.
NLWC update
Helen Maroulis will wrestle for bronze at 57 kgs after falling to Japan's Risako Kawai 2-1 in the semifinals. Kawai scored both of her points off penalty shot clock points, while Maroulis picked up her only score that way, as well. The bronze match will be held late Wednesday night on the east coast.
Thomas Gilman hopes to be in a medal match, too. He lost to Russia's Zavur Uguev in the first round, but since Uguev made the final, Gilman is back in repechage, where he can wrestle back for bronze. He, too, will be in action late Wednesday night.
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