Lake Placid, New York City to Study 2042 Winter Games Bid

“The time is now to return the Olympic flame back to New York,” said Hochul. “Milano-Cortina showcased the immense possibility that comes with a dual city Olympic Games. It’s clear we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on Lake Placid’s Olympic legacy, New York City’s global platform, and the strengths that make our state unique.

“That’s why I’ve assembled some of the best and the brightest in sports, government and community leadership to take the steps necessary to ensure New York is in the best possible position to make the dream of a Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games a reality.”

Exploratory Committee Formed

The committee will first engage in an exploratory process, including focused workstreams, stakeholder engagement and public input, which is expected to last up to a year.

Taking those into account, they will then evaluate the feasibility of a potential Winter Games bid for 2042, with events due to be held across Lake Placid and New York City. Once that process is complete, the committee will submit its findings and recommendations to state leadership about whether a bid would be viable.

Ashley Walden, president and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, will guide a Leadership Group of the Exploratory Committee, which also features leaders from state and local government, economic development and public service.

The full membership of the Leadership Group includes:

• Ashley Walden, president and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (chair)
• Karen Persichilli Keogh, secretary to Governor Kathy Hochul
• Hope Knight, president, CEO and commissioner of Empire State Development
• New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su
• Village of Lake Placid Deputy Mayor and Trustee Jackie Kelly
• Assemblymember Robert Carroll
• Jarred Jones, New York State director for U.S. Senator Gillibrand
• Martin Brennan, New York State director for U.S. Senator Schumer

Supporting the Leadership Group will be a series of subcommittees, each led by two co-chairs, including:

• Community Engagement Subcommittee: co-chaired by James McKenna, vice chair and CEO of the Uihlein Foundation, and Grace Bonilla, president and CEO of United Way of New York City
• Finance Subcommittee: co-chaired by Serge Abergel, chief operating officer of Hydro-Quebec Energy Services, and Peter Land, media consultant and adjunct professor at the NYU Stern School of Business
• Games Operations Subcommittee: co-chaired by Andrew Weibrecht, two-time Olympic medalist and operations manager at the Mirror Lake Inn, and Marissa Shorenstein, chief external affairs officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment.
• Legal Subcommittee: co-chaired by Anthony W. Crowell, New York Law School dean and president, and director, Center for New York City and State Law, and Robert Landau, executive vice president for business operations at NBCUniversal.
• Senior Advisors Subcommittee: co-chaired by D. Billy Jones, vice president of strategic initiatives and workforce development at Clinton Community College, and Joe Martens, board chair of the Olympic Regional Development Authority.

A New Era for American Sport

The announcement coincided with Olympic & Paralympic Day, which is marked annually on June 23 to celebrate the founding of the modern Olympic Movement and its values of participation, friendship and excellence.

More than $750 million has been invested by the State to transform and modernize Lake Placid’s Olympic venues since the first edition in 1932. Meanwhile, the sliding center was designated as the contingency venue for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, if their own sliding center had not been completed in time.

Joining forces with New York City, the state sees this as an opportunity to usher in a new era for American sports and explore how Olympic heritage and modern regional hosting concepts could intersect in the future.

Community Engagement

The exploratory process will be conducted with the knowledge of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, as they work together to engage with communities and key stakeholders.

“Few places can match the combination of Olympic heritage, world-class venues, and global reach found in New York State,” said Walden. “We are committed to approaching the Exploratory Committee’s work thoughtfully, transparently, and with broad stakeholder engagement.”

“Lake Placid holds a special place in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement and continues to play an important role in the development of Team USA athletes today,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “We applaud New York State and ORDA for their ongoing investments in winter sport and for taking a thoughtful, sustainable approach to exploring future opportunities that could create lasting benefits for athletes, communities, and the broader winter sport landscape.”

“Lake Placid has a remarkable Olympic legacy, and I am grateful to Mayor Devlin for giving me the opportunity to help explore what another Winter Games could mean for our community,” said Kelly. “The goal will be to carefully evaluate whether hosting another Winter Olympics can honor our history while creating lasting benefits for residents, businesses, and future generations. I look forward to working with a talented and knowledgeable team to assess the possibilities ahead.”

2034 Olympic Winter Games

The United States is already due to host the 2034 Olympic Winter Games in Utah, marking a return to the region for the first time since 2002.

Last week, the organizing committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games appointed several new positions, as Catherine Raney Norman, vice president of development and athlete relations, announced that she would conclude her tenure.

Abby Osborne was named vice president of impact, engagement and enterprise operations, Darren Hughes will become vice president of games delivery, and two-time Olympic short track speed skater Julie Letai was given the new role of athlete experience coordinator.