Posted: Sunday January 31, 2010 3:57 AM
SAPPORO, Japan (AP) -Noriaki Kasai warmed up for his sixth Olympics by winning the large hill event at the Japanese national ski jumping championships on Sunday.
Kasai, who was third after the first round, earned his first national title in 16 years with a second jump of 127.5 meters at the Okurayama hill.
The 37-year-old veteran is in good form heading to Vancouver. He claimed his first title in eight years by winning the HTB International on Jan.10 and was second in the TVh Cup a week ago.
"I'm pleased with today's results and will do my best for a medal in Vancouver,'' Kasai said.
Kasai's best finish in the World Cup this season was a second place finish here two weeks ago.
Kasai won a silver medal in the team event at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics but was left off the team when Japan won the team event four years later in Nagano for its first gold in ski jumping since the 1972 Sapporo games.
Kasai will be one of two veteran jumpers representing Japan in Vancouver along with 38-year-old Takanobu Okabe. The other members of Japan's Olympic ski jumping team are Daiki Ito and Taku Takeuchi.
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