New York State has announced plans to form an exploratory committee to examine the possibility of Lake Placid and New York City teaming up to host a future Winter Olympics.
The announcement came Monday from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, which pointed to a dual-city hosting model similar to the arrangement used at this year’s Games in Milan and Cortina as inspiration for the potential bid.
No specific Olympic year was identified in the announcement. With the 2034 Winter Games already awarded to Salt Lake City and Switzerland named as the front-runner for 2038, the earliest New York could realistically step in as host would be 2042.
“The time is now to return the Olympic flame back to New York,” Hochul said.
Lake Placid has a storied Olympic history, having hosted the Winter Games in both 1932 and 1980. The 1980 Games are especially memorable as the site of the famous “Miracle on Ice,” when the United States men’s hockey team — heavy underdogs — defeated the Soviet Union on home ice. More recently, Lake Placid served as a potential emergency backup venue for sliding sports at this year’s Olympics after construction delays plagued the facility in Cortina.
The newly formed committee is expected to take roughly one year to complete its review. Officials emphasized that forming the committee does not mean New York has officially entered any bid process. Ashley Walden, president and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, will serve as chair of the committee.
Lake Placid’s prospects are bolstered by a recent climate change study, which identified it as one of the few former Olympic host cities likely to have dependable enough winter weather conditions to support the Games through 2050.
Meanwhile, the 2030 Winter Olympics are set to be held in the French Alps.
