The news is out… the Olympic Authority welcomes the world daily but we are ready to welcome the world once again in an Olympic-size way! A proposal has recently been developed in coordination with the USOPC to host the sliding events for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2026 (February 6 – 22, 2026). The Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee for the Games released a tender Nov. 1, 2023, seeking a hosting proposal from National Olympic Committees to source an official venue for the sliding sports (bobsleigh, skeleton, luge). The USOPC submitted the proposal to the IOC on December 1, 2023, on our behalf. This proposal supports our mission and demonstrates both the legacy and the future of international winter sport in Lake Placid.
Our commitment to managing, marketing, maintaining, and providing top-notch facilities for training and competitions have made Mt Van Hoevenberg the ideal site to host the sliding sports of bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge. It is a perfect solution that meets the requirements of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSL) and the International Luge Federation (FIL). With its technically challenging track and the new 55,000 square foot Mountain Pass Lodge, which includes a state-of-the-art start ramp facility, it has proven to be a world-class venue for international competitions. For the displaced athletes and for the sliding sport community, we have added an element that is one-of-a-kind, a Celebration Center in Rockefeller Center, where athletes will be the center of attention on many levels… and then can jet off to Milan to continue to be a part of the host city festivities and Closing Ceremonies.
Lake Placid, home to USA Luge and the United States Olympic Paralympic Training Center (USOPTC), holds a special place in Olympic history as the host of the first-ever Olympic Winter Games in the United States. The vibrant winter sport communities of the Olympic region make for an unforgettable and culturally rich location for the sliding events. New York is an incredibly dynamic, and culturally diverse state in the prime broadcast time zone and headquarters of NBC, the Olympic broadcaster. With New York’s Italian heritage and the synergy between Lake Placid – New York City and Milano Cortina, the event will be memorable and rewarding on many levels to the athletes and spectators from around the world. The proposal outlines a compelling solution to host and inspire a new generation through sport and culture in partnership with Milano Cortina. We look forward to updates and will keep you all informed as news comes in.
View the entire proposal here.
Benvenuto mondo #lakeplacid2026
For remarks from the USOPC in support of Lake Placid click here.