Matteo Galvan (born 24 August 1988, Vicenza

Vicenza

Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...

) is an Italian sprinter who specializes in the 200

200 metres

A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

 and 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

. His career highlight so far is the 2009 European Indoor Championships

2009 European Indoor Championships in Athletics

The 30th European Athletics Indoor Championships was held in Turin, Italy, from Friday, 6 March to Sunday, 8 March 2009. The championships took place at the Oval Lingotto indoor arena which has a seating capacity of 6,600 people....

, where he placed sixth in the 400 metres and won a gold medal in the relay.

Career

Galvan was born in Vicenza

Vicenza

Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...

. He won the bronze medal in the 200 metres at the 2005 World Youth Championships

2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics

The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2005 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Marrakesh, Morocco.The host stadium was Stade Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...

, in a personal best time of 21.14 seconds. At the 2006 World Junior Championships

2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics

The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....

 he was named as one of the prime members of the Italian squad. He did reach the final round of the 200 metres, but was disqualified. He also competed in the 4 x 100 metres relay

4 x 100 metres relay

The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...

, but without reaching the final round. In 2006 he achieved personal best times in the 100

100 metres

The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...

 and 200 metres, with 10.54 and 20.87 seconds respectively, both times set in July in Rieti

Rieti

Rieti is a city and comune in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of c. 47,700. It is the capital of province of Rieti.The town centre rests on a small hilltop, commanding a wide plain at the southern edge of an ancient lake. The area is now the fertile basin of the Velino River...

.

2007 and 2008 were low-key seasons for Galvan. He ran the 200 metres in 20.96 in June 2007, and the 400 metres in 47.10 in September 2007. He repeated this exact time in February 2008 in Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

, during the indoor season.

In February 2009 he ran the 400 metres in 46.26, at the Italian indoor championships in Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

. At that time it was the third fastest time in Europe and the sixth fastest in the world during the 2008–09 indoor season. The 2009 European Indoor Championships

2009 European Indoor Championships in Athletics

The 30th European Athletics Indoor Championships was held in Turin, Italy, from Friday, 6 March to Sunday, 8 March 2009. The championships took place at the Oval Lingotto indoor arena which has a seating capacity of 6,600 people....

 was staged in the same city the next month, and, competing in the 400 metres, Galvan managed to place sixth in the final with the time 48.23. On the next day he won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay

4 x 400 metres relay

The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...

, together with teammates Jacopo Marin

Jacopo Marin

Jacopo Marin is a male sprinter from Italia who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 46.99 seconds, achieved in Velenje . He won a gold medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2009 European Indoor Championships, together with teammates Matteo Galvan, Domenico Rao and Claudio...

, Domenico Rao

Domenico Rao

Domenico Rao is a male track and field sprinter from Italia who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 47.09 seconds, achieved in 1998....

 and Claudio Licciardello

Claudio Licciardello

Claudio Licciardello is a track and field sprinter from Italy, who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 45.25 seconds, achieved in the heats at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.-Career:...

. Galvan ran the second leg.

Achievements

Representing
2009	European Indoor Championships	Turin, Italy	1st	4x400 m relay 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 4 x 400 metres relay The Men's 4 x 400 metres relay event at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on March 8.-Results:...
			6th	400 meters 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres The Men's 400 metres event at the 2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on March 6–7.- Medalists :- Heats :First 2 of each heat and the next 2 fastest qualified for the semifinals.- Semifinals :...