Japan’s Noriaki Kasai, 45, becomes first athlete to compete in eight Winter Olympics

Josh Peter | USA TODAY

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PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — The “normal hill’’ men’s individual ski jump qualifying Thursday night at the 2018 Winter Games could not have been more inaptly named.

“Normal” is not the word that came to mind when, under bright lights, skiers barrelled down a steep slope at upwards of 60 mph, often launched themselves beyond the length of a football field and the rock star was a 45-year-old Japanese man who’s almost as lanky as his skis.

Japan’s Noriaki Kasai became the first athlete to compete in eight Winter Olympics when he qualified for the medal round with a jump that earned him 117.7 points — and added to his unfathomable career distance.

When asked if he’d thought about how much time he’d spent in the air since his ski jumping career began about 35 years ago, Kasai grinned, nodded and answered through a translator.

“He has been thinking about that,’’ the translator said. “Maybe around one tour of the world.’’

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Nothing was lost in translation: Kasai estimated he’s been airborne enough to have circumnavigated the globe while aloft on his skis.

With the Olympic cauldron is to be lit tonight during the Opening Ceremonies, the early competition at at these Games featured Kasai’s internal competitive flame. He made his Olympic debut in 1992 at Albertville, won his first Olympic medal in 1994 at Lillehammer with a silver in the team event and, 20 years later, won a silver in large hill and a bronze in team event at Sochi in 2014.

Though he’s a long shot to make the podium during the medal round Saturday, he’ll be a crowd favorite — and remains a favorite among his fellow skiers.

“He’s somebody I look up to as a younger athlete,’’ American ski jumper Casey Larson said, “and in a way I think even the older athletes look up to him because he’s such a staple of persearvance and hard work.’’

Work and play.

Larson noted that he’s seen Kasai kicking a soccer ball with his Japanese teammates before jumping competitions.

“It’s always lighthearted,’’ Larson said. “He’s always having fun.’’

Perhaps fun helps fuel the Japanese star.