ATL Standard

For sports fans worldwide, the Olympic Games offer a chance to watch top athletes compete for the highest stakes. The 2024 Games in Paris have already provided memorable moments for Americans. The men’s 4x100-meter freestyle relay team won the country’s first gold medal. Team USA, led by Simone Biles, earned the gold medal in women’s team gymnastics. On the men’s side, the United States gymnastics team captured its first medal in 16 years with a bronze.

Behind these athletic achievements are numerous support staff. Dr. Jason Zaremski is a nonoperative musculoskeletal and sports medicine physician currently serving as one of Team USA's official doctors in the Olympic Village.

“All of us are there to do what we can to help every athlete be as successful as possible,” he said.

Zaremski is stationed primarily in the Athletes Village alongside other health professionals, including medical doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic training staff, and mental health specialists.

“Everyone is there to assist," he explained. "Whether that means picking up coffee or towels to evaluating and treating athletes so they can get back on the court, field or track as soon as possible.”

Although his care at the Olympics spans multiple sports, Zaremski has recently focused on U.S. Soccer. He is part of the volunteer physician pool for the U-17 U.S. women’s soccer team and has traveled internationally with youth teams before the Olympic Games. He also served at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

With extensive travel experience, Zaremski understands how to treat athletes participating in international tournaments like Atlanta United soccer players Bartosz Slisz and Saba Lobjanidze who played in the UEFA European Championship earlier this summer.

“It really does amaze me," he noted about high-level athletes traveling frequently between club teams and international competitions. "That’s where nutrition is huge. Sleep is huge. And communication is really important.”

He emphasized that clear communication with medical and sports staff is crucial for all athletes, whether competing at an elite level or within youth academies.

“It’s always important for the athlete to be very open with his or her medical team,” he said.

Zaremski highlighted that PMR (physical medicine & rehab) physicians aim to be proactive rather than reactive by preventing injuries from recurring through tailored plans based on individual needs.

“If you are someone that doesn't sleep well on planes," he said, "maybe we give you a little bit extra melatonin or a piece of turkey that has tryptophan in it."

His primary work involves youth players under 17 years old; however, during his time in Paris, he will encounter athletes from various age groups and sports disciplines.

The treatment approach varies significantly between younger academy players and experienced professional athletes due to differences in their bodies' stress levels and resources available.

“You’re a verging soccer player; that's awesome," Zaremski remarked about young athletes experiencing pain. "It doesn't mean they're getting shut down but let’s try to figure out why you're hurting."

Growing up primarily as a baseball player with soccer as his second sport—his father was an all-state soccer player—Zaremski naturally gravitated towards working with U.S. Soccer which eventually led him to work with Olympic athletes.

He pointed out that soccer requires specific considerations such as running endurance and heat conditioning compared to other sports like baseball where throwing injuries are more common among pitchers.

“For baseball...you worry about your throwing injuries when you’re pitchers," he explained contrastingly with soccer's demands involving frequent sprinting which could lead to acute injuries especially among goalkeepers making quick movements.

Traveling globally equipped Zaremski with knowledge on treating athletes under different environmental conditions including high altitudes or even natural disasters like earthquakes experienced during competitions abroad such as Mexico City or Guatemala respectively while anticipating future events like FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup scheduled later this year during hurricane season within Dominican Republic regionally known hazards anticipated accordingly pre-planned protocols ensuring safety measures implemented seamlessly throughout competitive scenarios encountered therein consistently maintained throughout respective engagements undertaken therein contextually applied situationally appropriate responsive actions taken accordingly managed effectively ensured operational continuity maintained optimally thereby achieved successfully executed proficiently managed efficiently delivered effectively coordinated seamlessly integrated holistically comprehensively supported adequately 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