Zach Ziemek, the reigning bronze medalist in the men's decathlon at the World Athletics Championships, is making his fourth appearance representing the United States at Worlds for the two-day, 10-event competition Aug. 25-26 in Budapest, Hungary. Ziemek, 30, is also a two-time Olympian, the 2018 U.S. decathlon champion, a five-time All-American at Wisconsin and the 2016 NCAA Division 1 indoor heptathlon champion for the Badgers. He reflects on earning his first global medal last year at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., and looks forward to his first time competing outside the U.S. since the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. It will also be the first time ZIemek has competed in Europe since the 2019 Decastar event in France. Ziemek expresses gratitude for coach Nate Davis, who has worked with him throughout his time at Wisconsin and as a professional athlete, along with his wife Victoria, his family and support group, many of whom will be traveling to Budapest. He revisits competing in 2015 at his first World Championships in Beijing, China, and being able to watch Ashton Eaton eclipse his own world record with 9,045 points, a mark that was surpassed by France's Kevin Mayer in 2018 with 9,126 points. Ziemek examines the veteran group of competitors in Budapest, including Mayer and himself and fellow American Harrison Williams, Canadians Pierce LePage and Damian Warner, as well as Grenada's Lindon Victor and Estonia's Maicel Uibo, along with the rising stars in Germany's Leo Neugebauer and Niklas Kaul, American Kyle Garland, Puerto Rico's Ayden Owens-Delerme and Norwegian athletes Markus Rooth and Sander Skotheim. He also speaks about the Thorpe Cup returning Aug. 12-13 to Marburg, Germany, and reminisces about his first time representing the Americans in 2014 in Marburg, and how he might return to the U.S. vs. Germany competition in 2026. Ziemek also speaks about how meaningful it would be to become the first American to capture a decathlon gold medal at Worlds since Eaton in 2015. He also analyzes the strong group of Wisconsin athletes and alumni scheduled to compete for several countries in Budapest. Ziemek also provides insight and perspective into the ongoing realignment in college athletics, and what the Big Ten Conference might look like following the 2023-24 school year.