1 week Ago
The Olympics may be returning to Upstate New York. The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports Lake Placid has officially been named the “Plan B” site for the 2026 Winter Olympics’ sliding events, including luge, bobsled and skeleton racing. Italy is set to host the games, but organizers warned last year that renovations to the 100-year-old sliding track at Cortina d’Ampezzo may not be completed in time due to cost overruns.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee put in a bid to host the bobsled, luge and skeleton events at the Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg.
Lake Placid previously hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980; the latter featured Team USA’s “ Miracle on Ice ” hockey victory. Lake Placid, located in the Adirondacks region, is an official U.S.
Olympic Training Center that has undergone more than $500 million in renovations over the past eight years. The site has been used in recent years to host the FISU World University Games , the Empire State Winter Games and the World Cup ski jumping competition . Darcy Norfolk, the communications director for the Olympic Regional Development Authority, told the Times Union that the International Olympic Committee expects Cortana’s renovations to be finished before the Winter Olympics in February 2026, but the IOC required a backup plan.
Lake Placid beat out sliding centers in Switzerland and Austria to become the next option. Norfolk did not say how much it would cost Lake Placid or how much revenue the event could bring in to the region. He told the Albany newspaper plans are being finalized for additional details, including potential hotel accommodations, transport and temporary housing for athletes in nearby towns and college campuses.
“For decades, New York State’s commitment to winter sports has kept the Olympic flame burning bright in Lake Placid,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Wednesday. “This is a testament to the investment in the legacy that we continue to provide Lake Placid and the Olympic Movement.
New York State is honored to be selected, and we will work closely with Fondazione Milano Cortina to discuss the planning in a detailed manner to stage the Plan B back up plan.” The Winter Games are scheduled to take place Feb 6-Feb 22, 2026, in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortana..
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