Tervel Dlagnev has wrestled in a medal match at the World Championships or Olympics in three of the past four seasons at 120 kg/264.5 lbs.

Dlagnev will be the favorite once again at heavyweight in men’s freestyle for the U.S. World Team Trials, set for June 21-22 in Stillwater, Okla.

Dlagnev was defeated by Dom Bradley in April’s U.S. Open finals, but Bradley has withdrawn from the Trials while he attempts to resolve his positive drug test from the U.S. Open for the stimulant methylhexaneamine.

With Bradley withdrawing, Dlagnev advances to the best-of-3 finals by virtue of being the highest U.S. Open finisher in the Trials field. He will face the Challenge Tournament winner in the final-round series.

Dlagnev won a World bronze medal in 2009 before falling in the bronze-medal match at the 2011 Worlds and 2012 Olympics. He earned a huge quarterfinal win over Uzbekistan’s Artur Taymazov in the 2011 Worlds. Taymazov came back to beat Dlagnev en route to winning his third Olympic title in 2012.

Dlagnev is a gifted and athletic big man who has the potential to earn a spot on the medal stand if he qualifies for Worlds this year. He has looked sluggish at times this season, but expect the competitive Dlagnev to come back strong at the Trials.

The explosive and dynamic Tyrell Fortune has burst onto the scene at the Senior level this year. He placed third at the U.S. Open.

Fortune pinned two-time NCAA Division I champion Tony Nelson in the finals of the University Nationals last month. Nelson placed fifth at the University World Championships in 2012. Fortune won an NCAA Division II crown for Grand Canyon this year and is a past Junior World Team member.

Past NCAA champion Zach Rey also has wrestled well internationally this season. Rey has won three tournaments this season. He finished fourth in the Open.

Two-time NCAA Division II champion Matthew Meuleners is another top young prospect to keep an eye on at the Trials. He was fifth at the Open.

Kyle Massey placed sixth, Nick Gwiazdowski seventh and Jeremy Johnson eighth at the Open.

The new FILA rules, implemented after the U.S. Open, also will be in place at the World Team Trials. There are now two three-minute periods with cumulative scoring. Takedowns are now worth two points instead of one.

2013 U.S. OPEN RESULTS AT 120 KG/264.5 LBS.
1st – Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids), 0-4, 3-0, 1-0
3rd – Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Grand Canyon WC) dec. Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC), 3-0, 4-1
5th – Matthew Meuleners, Norwood-Young America, Minn. (Aberdeen WC) dec. Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC), 4-1, 5-0
7th – Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (New York AC) dec. Jeremy Johnson, North Royalton, Ohio (Bobcat WC), 3-1, 4-0

U.S. WORLD TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS AT 120 KG/264.5 LBS.
’12 Olympic Team Trials Champion – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
’12 Olympic Team Trials second place – Les Sigman, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC)
’12 Olympic Team Trials, true third place – Steve Mocco, Bethlehem, Pa. (New York AC)
’13 Pan American Championships Champion – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
’13 MFS U.S. Open champion – Dom Bradley, Blue Springs, Mo. (Sunkist Kids)
’13 MFS U.S. Open second place – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
’13 MFS U.S. Open third place – Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Grand Canyon WC)
’13 MFS U.S. Open fourth place – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
’13 MFS U.S. Open fifth place – Matthew Meuleners, Norwood-Young America, Minn. (Titan Mercury WC)
’13 MFS U.S. Open sixth place – Kyle Massey, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC)
’13 MFS U.S. Open seventh place – Nick Gwiazdowski, Delanson, N.Y. (New York AC)
’13 MFS University National Champion – Tyrell Fortune, Portland, Ore. (Grand Canyon WC)
’13 MFS University National second place – Tony Nelson, Cambridge, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
’13 Northeast Regional Champion – Billy Smith, Wantage, N.J. (Clarkstown Brown & Gold WC)
’13 Northern Plains Regional Champion – Jarod Trice, Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (New York AC)
’13 Alexander Medved International Champion – Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids)
’13 Alexander Medved International third place – Zach Rey, Bethlehem, Pa. (Lehigh Valley AC)
’13 Wild Card Selection – Jeremy Johnson, North Royalton, Ohio (Bobcat WC)