​Oliver Krynen - Athletics Guru

“Athletics is my favourite sport. I’m a bit of a guru in that I’m always studying results,” Oliver Krynen enthuses over his summer time passion.

The year 9 student at St Patrick’s College, Silverstream has been unbeaten for the best part of two years in the 100 and 200 metres and last Saturday claimed the junior North Island titles in those events in Wanganui.

“It was a bit of a step up from Wellington competition. I believe I’m the fastest U14 sprinter in the country. That’s pretty cool,” Krynen says.

The prospect of being ranked so highly four months ago appeared unlikely. In January, Krynen turned up to the Colgate Games in Auckland as a virtual unknown.

“I won the 100 and 200 at the Colgate games. That gave me a lot of confidence because I had done nothing in my previous two Colgate Games. I think I’ve got a lot better because I have become more dedicated,” Krynen observes.

Krynen won the U14 100m, 200m, 400m and shot put titles at the Old Boys Cup against St Pat’s Town, but it was McEvedy Shield success he really craved.

“I had never been to the McEvedy, but it’s one of the main reasons I came to Silverstream. I had heard all about it and studied the results for two years beforehand,” Krynen reveals.

Krynen repeated his success in the aforementioned four events at McEvedy.

“McEvedy was unreal. My favourite win was the 100m because it’s right in front of the crowd,” Krynen acclaims.

At the Regional Championships, Krynen won the U14 100m, 200m and shot put titles.

His PB in the 100m is 11.69s and he has galloped a 24-flat in the 200m, breaking the U14 school record from 2001. Krynen has thrown the shot put 12.67m, good enough for a seventh placing at the North Island championships.

Krynen is coached by Simon England at the Lower Hutt athletics club with support from long time Silverstream athletics guru Hugh Steel.

Krynen is the best junior sprinter Silverstream has produced since Nick Kalivati. In 2002, Kalivati won the National junior 100m hurdles and 200m titles. In 2004, Kalivati represented New Zealand at age group level and was the head prefect leaving the college with 10 athletics records, including the U14 200m mark of 24:06, recently broken by Krynen when he ran a school recorded 24:05.

It should also be noted Nick Smith the senior 100 and 200m National Secondary Schools champion from Hutt Valley High School last year attended Silverstream in 2015 winning the North Island 100/200 double in the intermediate division. Smith set the U16 school records for the 100 and 200m running 10:90 and 21:90 respectively. 

Another long standing record was broken at Silverstream in 2018 when the oldest school record was removed from the books. Sautia Misa leapt a McEvedy record 6.47m in the U15 long jump, eclipsing the mark of John Taripo who jumped 6.04m in the same event in 1942. In 2018, Misa is ranked in the top ten nationally within his age group.

Krynen derives his name from a Dutch grandfather. His parents Chris and Justine are teachers at Hutt Intermediate School. The latter was a nationally ranked sprinter in her youth.

In the winter Krynen will turn his attention to football where he plays striker.

NISS Athletics Results

For full results from the North Island Championships click here: https://nzssaa.org.nz/static/ni-tf-2018/results.pdf