Tervel Dlagnev of the USA receives his gold medal and trophy for victory at 120 kg at the Alexander Medved International in Belarus on Saturday. Brandon Slay photo

MINSK, Belarus – Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) won a gold medal at 120 kg/264.5 lbs., one of five U.S. freestyle medalists on the final day of the Alexander Medved International on Saturday.

Dlagnev had three victories on the way to the gold, including a victory over Ratmir Taov of Russia in the finals.

He opened with a quarterfinal win over Aliaksei Nikalayeu of Belarus, then stopped Ostap Pasenok of Russia in the semifinals.

Dlagnev comes off a silver-medal performance at the Freestyle World Cup in Iran last week, where he had a strong 4-1 record.

Dlagnev was a 2009 World bronze medalist, and placed fifth at both the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2011 World Championships.

Winning a silver medal for the United States was David Zabriskie (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs., who had three straight wins before dropping the gold-medal bout against Ivan Yankouski of Belarus.

Zabriskie opened with wins over Nurygov Karataev of Turkmenistan and American Wynn Michalak (Champaign, Ill./Titan Mercury WC). In the semifinals, Zabriskie beat Imants Lagodskis of Latvia. A New Jersey native, he was an NCAA champion for Iowa State prior to moving back East to train with the Lehigh Valley AC.

The USA had three bronze medals, one in each of the weights contested on Saturday: Jon Reader (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs., Wynn Michalak (Champaign, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Zach Rey (Hopatcong, N.J/Lehigh Valley AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Reader had an impressive 4-1 record for the day, including a victory over Dauren Kurguliev of Russia in the bronze-medal bout. Reader, who was an NCAA champion for Iowa State, has won three international medals so far in 2013, including gold medals at the Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado and the Dan Kolov International in Bulgaria.

Michalak rebounded after losing his first match to Zabriskie with two straight wins, including a victory over Imants Lagodskis of Latvia for the bronze. Michalak has won his fifth medal at an international competition since the start of the 2012-13 international season, three of which have been gold medals. Michalak was a star for Central Michigan, and now trains at the Univ. of Illinois.

Rey, who was an NCAA champion at Lehigh, continues to show improvement on the international level. He went 3-1 in the tournament, including a victory over Vadzim Shvedau of Belarus in the bronze-medal bout.

Over the two-day tournament, the USA won seven medals, including two individual champions. Joining Dlagnev as a champion from the USA was 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs (Lincoln, Neb./Sunkist Kids), who was the 74 kg/163 lbs. champion on Friday.

ALEXANDER MEDVED INTERNATIONAL
At Minsk, Belarus, March 2

Men’s freestyle results

84 kg/185 lbs.
Gold – Murad Gaidarov (Belarus)
Silver – Amarhajy Mahamedau (Belarus)
Bronze – Armands Zvirbulis (Latvia)
Bronze – Jon Reader (USA)
5th – Adam Gagiev (Russia)
5th - Dauren Kurugliev (Russia)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. 
Gold – Ivan Yankouski (Belarus)
Silver – David Zabriskie (USA)
Bronze – Wynn Michalak (USA)
Bronze – Liubomyr Sagaliuk (Ukraine)
5th – Imants Lagodskis (Latvia)
5th – Evgeniy Alekseev (Russia)

120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Gold – Tervel Dlagnev (USA)
Silver – Ratmir Taov (Russia)
Bronze – Aliaksei Nikalayeu (Belarus)
Bronze – Zach Rey (USA)
5th – Ostap Pasenok (Russia)
5th – Vadzim Shvedau (Belarus)

U.S. men’s freestyle performances

84 kg/185 lbs. – Jon Reader, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 3rd
WIN Razmik Oganesyan (Russia)
WIN Roman Krasnenko (Ukraine)
LOSS Amarhajy Mahamedau (Belarus)
WIN Igor Sarkisyan (Russia)
WIN Dauren Kurguliev (Russia)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC), dnp
Vs. Roman Krasnenko (Ukraine)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Clayton Foster, Laramie, Wyo. (GRIT Athletics WC), dnp
WIN Magomed Umatgazhiev Said (Russia)
LOSS Dauren Kurguliev (Russia)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC), dnp
LOSS Kanat Berdiyerv (Kazakhstan)

84 kg/185 lbs. – Austin Trotman, Boone, N.C. (AppStateRTC), dnp
WIN Grigors Shulepa (Ukraine)
LOSS Adlan Yasuyeu (Belarus)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – David Zabriskie, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), 2nd
WIN Nurygov Karataev (Turkmenistan)
WIN Wynn Michalak (USA)
WIN Imants Lagodskis (Latvia)
LOSS Ivan Yankouski (Belarus)

96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Wynn Michalak, Champaign, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC), 3rd
LOSS David Zabriskie (USA)
WIN Nuryagov Karataev (Turkmenistan)
WIN Imants Lagodskis (Latvia)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), 1st
WIN Aliaksei Nikalayeu (Belarus)
WIN Ostap Pasenok (Russia)
WIN Ratmir Taov (Russia)

120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC), 3rd
WIN Khadzhimurad Murtuzaliev (Russia)
LOSS Ratmir Taov (Russia)
WIN Khakberdy Annamov (Turkmenistan)
WIN Vadzim Shvedau (Belarus)