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.