The 2026 Winter Olympics, set to be co-hosted by Milan, Italy and Cortina d’Ampezzo, has faced delays in the construction of ski race tracks. As a contingency plan, Lake Placid in upstate New York may serve as an alternative venue for events like bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise reported on December 11th that Darcy Rowe Norfolk, the communications director of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, stated that if Cortina’s century-old tracks are not repaired by March 2025, Lake Placid will be used for the skiing events during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Olympic Regional Development Authority has engaged in discussions with the Milan-Cortina Organizing Committee regarding this backup plan. Stakeholders and partners associated with Lake Placid have also been involved in deliberations about the details. Norfolk mentioned that Lake Placid emerged as the backup option for the 2026 Winter Olympics after competing with renowned skiing destinations like St. Moritz in Switzerland and Igls/Innsbruck in Austria.
Located in Essex County, upstate New York, Lake Placid is a well-known international winter sports venue that hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980. Andrew Weibrecht, a two-time Olympic skiing gold medalist, was born and raised in Lake Placid.
Reacting to the possibility of Lake Placid becoming a competition site for the 2026 Winter Olympics, New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated, “This is a testament to our investment in preserving the legacy and Olympic projects of Lake Placid. New York is honored to be chosen, and we will work closely with the Milan-Cortina Organizing Committee to discuss the implementation details of this contingency plan.”