| Matic Ian Guček | |
| Nationality: | Slovenian |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | 400m hurdles |
| Birth Date: | 20 September 2003 |
| Pb: | 400m: 46.60 (Nova Gorica, 2022) 400m hurdles: 48.34 (Rome, 2024) NR |
Matic Ian Guček (born 20 September 2003) is a Slovenian hurdler. He is a multiple-time national champion and national record holder over 400 metres hurdles.[1]
He won his first Slovenian national title in 2021, winning indoors over 60 metres hurdles.[2] In June of that year, he won the Slovenian 400m hurdles title for the first time.[3] He qualified for the final and placed fifth overall in the Men's 400 metres hurdles at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi.[4]
He was a silver medalist in the Men's 400 metres hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali in 2022, running a 48.91.[5] He also set a senior Slovenian national record with the time, beating the previous best which was held by Rok Kopitar and had stood for 42 years.[6] He was subsequently selected for the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich.[7]
In 2023, he represented Slovenia in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2023 European Athletics Team Championships in which he finished second in Division II.[8] He raced at the European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo in which he finished fourth,[9] and the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.[10]
He lowered his own Slovenian national record over 400 metres hurdles in May 2024 in Kranj, running 48.66, which met the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics.[11] He finished sixth in 49.13 at the 2024 Diamond League event in Stockholm.[12]
He ran a personal best 48.34 seconds to reach the final of the 400m hurdles at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome. In his major championship final debut he placed seventh overall, running 48.87 seconds.[13]
Guček from Celje in Styria.[14]