Zach Ziemek

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Zachery Ziemek

| image = USATF day 2 2018 (41151944060).jpg

| caption = Ziemek at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

| fullname =

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|2|23|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Itasca, Illinois, United States

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 6 ft 3 in{{Cite web|url=https://uwbadgers.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/zach-ziemek/2805|title=Zach Ziemek | Men's Track & Field|website=Wisconsin Badgers}}

| sport = Track and field

| event = Decathlon

| education = University of Wisconsin–Madison

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's athletics}}

{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}

}}

Zachery (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.{{Cite web |title=Mayer regains world decathlon title in Oregon {{!}} REPORT {{!}} WCH 22 {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/oregon22/news/report/wch-oregon22-report-men-decathlon |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=worldathletics.org}} In 2021 he finished 6th at the Tokyo Olympics.{{Cite web |title=Zachery ZIEMEK {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/zachery-ziemek-14429901 |access-date=2022-07-26 |website=www.worldathletics.org}} He represented his country at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where he finished 15th.{{World Athletics}} Ziemek finished 7th in the decathlon at the 2016 Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/zach-ziemek |website=Olympics.com|title=Zach Ziemek}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/article252246718.html|title=The Latest: Scantling wins decathlon, off to Tokyo Games|agency=AP|date=21 June 2021|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202043/https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/article252246718.html|archive-date=24 June 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://results.usatf.org/|title=2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field}} 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.{{cite web |title=All Time Decathlon Event Performances |url=https://www.decathlon2000.com/4112/top-20-per-group-of-events/ |website=decathlon2000}} Only three other men have ever gone higher in an 8000+pt decathlon: Erki Nool (5.60 m in his 8628, 1998), Aleksandr Averbukh (5.60 m in his 8084, 1997) and Timothy Bright (5.70 m in his 8216, 1988){{cite web |url=https://decathletesofeurope.co.uk/meetings/review-ratingen-and-us-trials-the-virtual-thorpe-cup/|title=Review: Ratingen and US Trials – the Virtual Thorpe Cup|date=23 June 2021}}

His main personal bests are 8471 points in the decathlon (Eugene 2021){{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/zachary-ziemek-14429901|title=Zachery Ziemek |website=worldathletics.org}} and 6173 points in the indoor heptathlon (Birmingham 2016).

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/article_2dd1eeff-eda1-5bca-ab8d-b67f1371a7f4.html|title=Sun Prairie resident will return to Olympics|first=Ryan|last=Gregory|date=15 July 2021|website=hngnews.com}}

Competition record

{{AchievementTable\|Event=yes}}
colspan="6"\|Representing the {{USA}}
2015 \|World Championships \|Beijing, China \|15th \|Decathlon \|8006 pts
2016 \|Olympic Games \|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil \|7th \|Decathlon \|8392 pts
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 \|bgcolor=cc9966\|3rd \|Decathlon \|8676 pts
2023 \|World Championships \|Budapest, Hungary \| — \|Decathlon \|DNF
2024 \|Olympic Games \|Paris, France \|17th \|Decathlon \|7983 pts

colspan="6"|Representing the {{USA}}

2015

|World Championships

|Beijing, China

|15th

|Decathlon

|8006 pts

2016

|Olympic Games

|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

|7th

|Decathlon

|8392 pts

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

|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd

|Decathlon

|8676 pts

2023

|World Championships

|Budapest, Hungary

| —

|Decathlon

|DNF

2024

|Olympic Games

|Paris, France

|17th

|Decathlon

|7983 pts

Personal bests

{{col-begin}}{{col-break}}Outdoor

100 metres – 10.55 (0.0 m/s) (Tokyo 2021)
400 metres – 49.04 (Eugene 2016)
1500 metres – 4:40.05 (Athens 2021){{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/zachery-ziemek-14429901|title=Zachery Ziemek | Profile | World Athletics}}
110 metres hurdles – 14.29 (+1.6 m/s) (Madison 2017)
High jump – 2.14 (Eugene 2021)
Pole vault – 5.55 (Eugene 2021)
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){{cite web | title= Men's Javelin Throw | access-date=April 26, 2024 | url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7200808?eventId=10229636&gender=M }}
Decathlon – 8471 (Eugene 2021)