Momentum is gaining strength for the idea of a joint Lake Placid and New York City Olympic bid. Now, Gov. Kathy Hochul has formed an exploratory committee to examine the feasibility of such a move.
Lake Placid is renowned as an Olympic site, having hosted the winter games twice in 1932 and 1980. It has maintained Olympic-level venues and hosts world-class competitions. The International Olympic Committee also designated Lake Placid as the backup site for the bobsled, luge and skeleton competition for the 2026 Winter Olympics if the Italian tracks were not ready.
Meanwhile, New York City is replete with large indoor stadiums that could host sports such as hockey and curling.
The communities are about 300 miles apart. The Milan Cortina games had venues about 250 miles apart. That is spurring the idea of a Lake Placid-New York City Olympics.
Last December, former Assemblyman D. Billy Jones and current Brooklyn Assemblyman Robert Carroll, both Democrats, published an op-ed in the New York Daily News calling for the state to consider hosting a future games, stating “By thoughtfully dividing events between NYC and Lake Placid, we can minimize disruption, maximize efficiency, and set a new standard for responsible Olympic planning.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Monday the formation of the Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Exploratory Committee. It will determine if a coordinated Winter Games is possible. Jones, who will co-chair the Senior Advisors Subcommittee, says the state is bringing together diverse talents that include education, economic development and sports.
“There’s some very talented people that can bring a lot to the table. I will point out this is an exploratory committee. This is not an Olympic bid committee, which is a significant difference. But still, I think this has great potential. There’s a lot of work to do in the next 12 months in exploring the possibilities and the challenges.”
A number of subcommittees will assess items, including the existing venues, financial implications and overall impact on the state. Each will be co-chaired by North Country and New York City officials.
The Community Engagement Subcommittee will be co-chaired by the CEO of the Uihlein Foundation and former CEO of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism Jim McKenna.
“A couple of things that are quite unique. One that it positions us globally in a new frame, so to speak, partnering with a major metropolitan area. And then there’s some also long-term benefits for our region in partnering with New York City that will probably spell well beyond the Olympic games.”
McKenna adds that the subcommittees are not yet fully defined but says they will be assessing a number of issues and statewide impacts.
“When you’re talking an Olympic Games and you’re talking the partnering of two different areas of the state and looking at all of the international requirements and the U.S. requirements of the Olympic movement, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. And it’s not just a matter of saying yes, we are ready. We have to justify and identify if it’s really worthwhile for the state of New York to proceed this way.”
The Games Operations Subcommittee will be chaired by two-time Olympic medalist and Lake Placid resident Andrew Weibrecht.
“There’s been a lot more pressure to make the games more sustainable. So, I think just the fact of going back to a part of the world that has an organic enthusiasm for the games is one really important thing. And then the other side is going back and reusing venues that already exist. I think it’s in alignment with what the IOC and USOPC (U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee) have been trying to kind of wrap their heads around a little bit. We’ve shown Lake Placid has the ability to host big events. New York City obviously has their own host of venues that are world class. So this is kind of the next logical step.”
McKenna says the formation of an exploratory committee sends a clear message that New York state is serious about assessing a potential bid.
“I think this sends a very clear message that New York State wants to engage in this. And you know the effort for the 1980 games started in ’56 and it was in 1976, twenty years later, where Placid was selected.”
If the exploratory committee recommends a formal bid, and it is approved by the IOC, the earliest a Winter Olympics could be held in the region is 2042.
