Zach Ziemek

American decathlete

Zach Ziemek

Ziemek at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Personal information

Born

(1993-02-23) February 23, 1993 (age 31)
Itasca, Illinois, United States

Education

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Height

6 ft 3 in (191 cm)^[1]

Sport

Track and field

Event

Decathlon

Medal record

Men's athletics

Representing the United States
World Championships
	2022 Eugene	Decathlon

Zach Ziemek (born February 23, 1993) is an American athlete competing in the decathlon. Ziemek won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene with a personal best score of 8676.^[2] In 2021 he finished 6th at the Tokyo Olympics.^[3] He represented his country at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where he finished 15th.^[4] Ziemek finished 7th in the decathlon at the 2016 Olympics.^[5]

Career

At the 2020 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) Ziemek came third behind Garrett Scantling and Steve Bastien (athlete) with an Olympic qualifying score to earn a spot at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.^[6]^[7] At the trials, Ziemek set the world record in the decathlon jumping events with performances of 7.74 in the long jump, 2.14 in the high jump, and 5.55 in the pole vault.^[8] Only three other men have ever gone higher in an 8000+pt decathlon: Erki Nool (5.60m in his 8628, 1998), Aleksandr Averbukh (5.60m in his 8084, 1997) and Timothy Bright (5.70m in his 8216, 1988)^[9]

His main personal bests are 8471 points in the decathlon (Eugene 2021)^[10] and 6173 points in the indoor heptathlon (Birmingham 2016).^[4]

Ziemek resides in Sun Prairie, WI and trains at his alma mater the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is coached by Nate Davis, assistant coach for the Wisconsin track & field team. He is married to Victoria Paulson Ziemek.^[11]

Competition record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing the United States
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	15th	Decathlon	8006 pts^[4]
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	7th	Decathlon	8392 pts^[4]
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	–	Decathlon	DNF
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	6th	Heptathlon	5941 pts
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	6th	Decathlon	8435 pts
2022	World Championships	Eugene, United States	3rd	Decathlon	8676 pts
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	—	Decathlon	DNF

Personal bests

Outdoor^[4]

100 metres – 10.55 (0.0 m/s) (Tokyo 2021)
400 metres – 49.04 (Eugene 2016)
1500 metres – 4:40.05 (Athens 2021)^[12]
110 metres hurdles – 14.29 (+1.6 m/s) (Madison 2017)
High jump – 2.14 (Eugene 2021)^[12]
Pole vault – 5.55 (Eugene 2021)^[12]
Long jump – 7.73 (+1.7 m/s) (Eugene 2014)
Shot put – 14.99 (Tokyo 2021)
Discus throw – 50.90 (Des Moines 2018)
Javelin throw – 62.55 (Madison 2023)^[13]
Decathlon – 8471 (Eugene 2021)^[12]

Indoor^[4]

60 metres – 6.75 (Birmingham 2016)
1000 metres – 2:48.25 (Geneva, OH 2013)
60 metres hurdles – 8.03 (Iowa City 2018)
High jump – 2.06 (Geneva, OH 2013)
Pole vault – 5.40 (Fayetteville 2013)
Long jump – 7.48 (Birmingham 2016)
Shot put – 14.53 (Birmingham 2016)
Heptathlon – 6173 (Birmingham 2016)

References

^ "Zach Ziemek | Men's Track & Field". Wisconsin Badgers.
^ "Mayer regains world decathlon title in Oregon | REPORT | WCH 22 | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
^ "Zachery ZIEMEK | Profile | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Zach Ziemek at World Athletics
^ "Zach Ziemek". Olympics.com.
^ "The Latest: Scantling wins decathlon, off to Tokyo Games". AP. 21 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021.
^ "2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field".
^ "All Time Decathlon Event Performances". decathlon2000.
^ "Review: Ratingen and US Trials – the Virtual Thorpe Cup". 23 June 2021.
^ "Zachery Ziemek". worldathletics.org.
^ Gregory, Ryan (15 July 2021). "Sun Prairie resident will return to Olympics". hngnews.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Zachery Ziemek | Profile | World Athletics".
^ "Men's Javelin Throw". Retrieved 26 April 2024.

2020 USA Olympic track and field team

Qualification

2020 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

Men's track
and road athletes

Men's
field athletes

Women's track
and road athletes

Women's
field athletes

Coaches

Robyne Johnson (women's assistant coach)
Gary Aldrich (men's assistant coach)
Nat Page (men's assistant coach)
Stanley Redwine (men's assistant coach)
Sandra Fowler (women's assistant coach)
Michael Holloway (men's head coach)
LaTanya Sheffield (women's assistant coach)
Rose Monday (women's head coach)
Darryl Woodson (men's assistant coach)
Marsha Seagrave (Women's Head Manager)
Tim Weaver (Men's Head Manager)
Megan Watson (women's assistant coach)
Manny Bautista Event Manager
Danielle Siebert Event Manager

v t e 2016 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	2016 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Devon Allen Robby Andrews Ronnie Ash Boris Berian Ben Blankenship Hillary Bor Marvin Bracy Trayvon Bromell Donn Cabral Matthew Centrowitz Jr. Paul Chelimo Kerron Clement Kyle Clemons (r) Christian Coleman (r) Justin Gatlin Tyson Gay (r) Arman Hall (r) Evan Jager Charles Jock Meb Keflezighi Shadrack Kipchirchir Leonard Korir Bernard Lagat Tony McQuay (r) Hassan Mead LaShawn Merritt Clayton Murphy John Nunn Jeff Porter Gil Roberts Byron Robinson Mike Rodgers (r) Galen Rupp Michael Tinsley David Verburg Jared Ward Ameer Webb
Men's field athletes	Bradley Adkins Tavis Bailey Chris Benard Will Claye Ryan Crouser Sam Crouser Logan Cunningham Marquis Dendy Ashton Eaton Andrew Evans Mason Finley Sean Furey Michael Hartfield Jeff Henderson Darrell Hill Cyrus Hostetler Kibwé Johnson Sam Kendricks Joe Kovacs Erik Kynard Jarrion Lawson Conor McCullough Ricky Robertson Cale Simmons Jeremy Taiwo Christian Taylor Rudy Winkler Zach Ziemek
Women's track and road athletes	Morolake Akinosun (r) Nia Ali Tianna Bartoletta Tori Bowie Kristi Castlin Emma Coburn Kim Conley Amy Cragg Abbey Cooper Taylor Ellis-Watson (r) Allyson Felix Shalane Flanagan Phyllis Francis Courtney Frerichs English Gardner Kate Grace Marielle Hall Natasha Hastings Shelby Houlihan Molly Huddle Emily Infeld Desiree Linden Brenda Martinez Francena McCorory (r) Sydney McLaughlin Miranda Melville Maria Michta Dalilah Muhammad Courtney Okolo (r) Jenna Prandini Colleen Quigley Brianna Rollins Shannon Rowbury Jenny Simpson Ashley Spencer Deajah Stevens Ariana Washington (r) Chrishuna Williams Ajeé Wilson
Women's field athletes	Whitney Ashley Tianna Bartoletta Gwen Berry Brittany Borman Amber Campbell Kelsey Card Michelle Carter Vashti Cunningham Janay DeLoach Christina Epps Andrea Geubelle Felisha Johnson Chaunté Lowe Maggie Malone Inika McPherson Heather Miller-Koch Sandi Morris Barbara Nwaba Keturah Orji DeAnna Price Brittney Reese Raven Saunders Amanda Smock Jennifer Suhr Shelbi Vaughan Alexis Weeks Kendell Williams Kara Winger
Coaches	Bonnie Edmondson (women's assistant coach) Troy Engle (men's assistant coach) Curtis Frye (men's assistant coach) Robyne Johnson (women's assistant coach) Vin Lananna (men's head coach) Rose Monday (women's assistant coach) Connie Price-Smith (women's head coach) Cliff Rovelto (men's assistant coach) Mario Sategna (men's assistant coach) LaTanya Sheffield (women's assistant coach)

v t e US National Championship winners in men's decathlon
1915–1979 Amateur Athletic Union	1915: Alma Richards 1916–19: not held 1920: Brutus Hamilton 1921: Dan Shea 1922: Harrison Thompson 1923: Harold Osborn 1924: Tony Plansky 1925–26: Harold Osborn 1927: Fait Elkins 1928–29: Ken Doherty 1930: Wilson Charles 1931: Jess Mortensen 1932: James Bausch 1933: Barney Berlinger 1934–35: Bob Clark 1936: Glenn Morris 1937: not held 1938–39: Joe Scott 1940: Bill Watson 1941: John Borican 1942: Bill Terwilliger 1943: Bill Watson 1944: Irv Mondschein 1945: Charles Beaudry 1946–47: Irv Mondschein 1948–50: Bob Mathias 1951: Bob Richards 1952: Bob Mathias 1953: Milt Campbell 1954–55: Bob Richards 1956: Rafer Johnson 1957: Charles Pratt 1958: Rafer Johnson 1959: C.K. Yang (TPE) * Dave Edstrom 1960: Rafer Johnson 1961: Paul Herman 1962: C.K. Yang (TPE) * Paul Herman 1963: Steve Pauly 1964: C.K. Yang (TPE) * Paul Herman 1965–69: Bill Toomey 1970: John Warkentin 1971: Rick Wanamaker 1972–73: Jeff Bennett 1974: Bruce Jenner 1975: Fred Samara 1976: Bruce Jenner 1977: Fred Dixon 1978: Mike Hill 1979: Bobby Coffman
1980–1992 The Athletics Congress	1980: Bob Coffman 1981–82: John Crist 1983: Mark Anderson 1984: John Crist 1985: John Sayre 1986: Dave Johnson 1987: Tim Bright 1988: Gary Kinder 1989–90: Dave Johnson 1991: Dan O'Brien 1992: Dave Johnson
1993-onwards USA Track & Field	1993–96: Dan O'Brien 1997: Steve Fritz 1998–99: Chris Huffins 2000: Tom Pappas 2001: Kip Janvrin 2002–03: Tom Pappas 2004–05: Bryan Clay 2006–07: Tom Pappas 2008: Bryan Clay 2009: Trey Hardee 2010: Jake Arnold 2011–13: Ashton Eaton 2014–15: Trey Hardee 2016: Ashton Eaton 2017: Trey Hardee 2018: Zach Ziemek 2019: Devon Williams 2021^{2020 OT}: Garrett Scantling
Notes	The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event. 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.