Lake Placid Selected as Plan B Site for 2026 Winter Olympics Sliding Events
The Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg may host luge, bobsled, and skeleton events.
Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid. Photo courtesy LakePlacid.com (ROOST)
Officials announced Wednesday that Lake Placid will host the bobsled, luge, and skeleton events for the 2026 Olympics if a track currently being rebuilt in Italy is not finished in time for the Milan-Cortina Games.
The 2026 Winter Games will take place from February 6-22, 2026.
Italian officials have not indicated that the track—a century-old facility that has been dormant for nearly 20 years—will not be ready in time. Lake Placid would serve only as a backup site, just in case.
Italy’s big gamble.
Italy's decision to renovate the century-old track in Cortina, a nearly $90 million proposition, has faced strong opposition from the International Olympic Committee.
Italian officials are confident that the track will be ready. Plans are in place for work to continue throughout the winter, including temporary coverings to protect both the track and workers from the elements. The refrigeration system will be converted into a heating mechanism to improve conditions for workers during the colder months.
“For decades, New York State’s commitment to winter sports has kept the Olympic flame burning bright in Lake Placid.”
However, it is still uncertain whether sliders will be able to test the track as planned in March. If this testing cannot occur, Lake Placid could become an even more viable candidate for hosting the events.
New York State’s Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), which oversees the sliding facilities in Lake Placid, stated it would engage in more detailed discussions with Italian organizers to determine specific next steps to further develop the alternative backup plan for the events.
The Adirondacks: a world-class winter sports destination.
According to the Albany Times Union, the state of New York has invested more than half a billion dollars over the past eight years in updating and rehabilitating its winter sports venues, which include the Olympic Sports Complex and Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid and the Gore, Whiteface and Belleayre mountain ski centers.
Team USA 4-Man Bobsled
“For decades, New York State’s commitment to winter sports has kept the Olympic flame burning bright in Lake Placid," New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. "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 to further the dialogue, and we will work closely with Fondazione Milano Cortina to discuss the planning in a detailed manner to stage the Plan B backup plan.”
Lake Placid has hosted the Winter Games twice, in 1932 and 1980. It is not entirely uncommon for Olympic events to be held outside the central Olympic city. For instance, surfing at this summer’s Paris Games took place in Tahiti, while equestrian events at the 1956 Melbourne Games were held in Sweden.
Is Italy’s loss Team USA’s gain?
Holding events away from the main Olympic venue does have its disadvantages. “It would create a different environment, a different Olympic experience in not being with the rest of Team USA,” USA Luge CEO Scott Riewald told the AP. “But there’s nothing like competing at an Olympics on your home turf and on your home soil. And I think it presents some great opportunities for Team USA athletes and for USA Luge athletes to compete with the best in the world on a track where we’ve had success.”
The skeleton event.
The proposed change might give the U.S. luge, bobsled, and skeleton teams a significant advantage, as Lake Placid is their home track. American athletes typically perform well in World Cup races held in Lake Placid, and the track at Mount Van Hoevenberg is set to host the next world bobsled and skeleton championships in March.
The current plan does not allow for sliding athletes to participate in opening ceremonies in Milan. Instead, athletes will arrive at Mount Hoevenberg to compete in their events, with winners and runners-up receiving their medals at a celebration center located at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Beyond the sliding facilities, accommodating athletes, media, workforce, and spectators.
According to a spokesperson for ORDA, athletes will stay at an Olympic Village located on the campus of Paul Smith’s College in nearby Franklin County. Charter buses will be arranged to transport them on the 60-mile journey to and from Mount Van Hoevenberg in Essex County.
In addition to attracting athletes, the events will bring a multitude of other individuals to the area. According to Lake Placid's official bid to host the events, “Hotel accommodations and temporary housing options will be organized from Lake Placid to Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Canton, Malone, and the Lake George region to accommodate technical officials, media, volunteers, stakeholders, the workforce, and contractors.”
Bobsledder at Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex in Lake Placid. Photo courtesy LakePlacid.com (ROOST)
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