Zach Ziemek, a three-time Olympian and four-time World Athletics Championships qualifier for the United States who earned a decathlon bronze medal in 2022 in Oregon, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss becoming only the second American male competitor along with Tom Pappas to compete in the decathlon in three Olympics and for him and Coach Nate Davis to be the only pair in U.S. history to achieve the feat together. Ziemek, 31, placed seventh in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro with 8,392 points and secured sixth in 2021 in Tokyo at 8,435 points. He achieved a lifetime-best 8,676 points in 2022 at Hayward Field to earn the World Championships bronze medal. Ziemek, who also won an NCAA Division 1 indoor heptathlon title in 2016 at Wisconsin, expresses gratitude to Davis and Andrew Schupp, the head of Schupp Chiropractic and Sports Injuries in Madison, for their support, insight and perspective since 2013. He reflects on the athletes he has shared the Olympic experiences with, including Ashton Eaton and Jeremy Taiwo in 2016, followed by Garrett Scantling and Steven Bastien in 2021, and looks forward to being teammates in Paris with Heath Baldwin and Harrison Williams. Ziemek also shares how meaningful it will be to have not only Davis and Schupp, but also his wife Victoria and family members able to attend the competition in Paris, after strict guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tokyo prevented most of his support system from being able to attend. He speaks about recovering from a foot injury that resulted in Ziemek being unable to complete the first day of the decathlon last year at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and how it was necessary for him to sacrifice short-term aspirations in pursuit of the long-term goal of competing Aug. 2-3 at a third Olympics in Paris. Ziemek examines the leading challengers to earn medals and highlights certain events that could elevate him into medal contention, in addition to reflecting on what performances June 20-21 at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field provided he and Davis the most encouragement and reassurance in preparation to compete in France. He also examines how impactful a U.S. medal would be in the decathlon after a fourth-place finish by Scantling and Ziemek achieving sixth in Tokyo marked the first time since the 1988 Seoul Olympics that an American male decathlete was unable to produce a podium finish, along with his preference to stay connected with his family and Davis during the trip to Paris instead of being involved in the community in the Olympic Village.