Inside New York state’s bid to host 2026 Olympic sliding events

Lake Placid still waiting for final answer from Italian committee about whether the village will be needed as backup site

By James M. Odato

New York promised to cover all expenses of the Italian Olympic committee planning the 2026 Winter Games if sliding events moved to Lake Placid, according to public documents.

Details of the state’s bid for the Adirondacks to host the bobsled, skeleton and luge events next winter show the state committed to cover $30 million in costs if the Italian team was unable to complete its track on time. That figure was extended to the Italians last July and the bid was good through March.

That sum is a portion of the overall spending New York would bear should it become the site of the sliding events, which is looking less likely now that the Italian committee has built and successfully tested a new track in Cortina.

Documents released under a public records request show the state continues to hold onto the possibility of hosting. It also shows how aggressively New York has been pursuing the chance to back up the Italian sled-racing center.

Even after high praise from evaluators reviewing the Cortina track and some 200 test runs by athletes in March, the Olympic Regional Development Authority continues to “stand by” in case the Mt. Van Hoevenberg track is needed next year, said Darcy Norfolk, ORDA’s communications director. However, ORDA and its partner the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is writing soon to the Italian committee to set a deadline for a notice on whether Lake Placid will be needed.

“Our decision was to make it a zero-dollar value” to the Milano Cortina 2026 group, Norfolk said about the bid. “Other cities were actually going to bill them. With us, there isn’t a cost.”

Lake Placid won the right last December to enter detailed talks to be the Plan B site after bidding against other world destinations. The bids were desired by the International Olympic Committee because of concerns the Italians would be unable to build a sliding facility in time for the Games the nation is hosting. The IOC also had concerns about the expense of adding another track in Europe.

The preliminary budget ORDA advanced to Italy shows that for no cost the Italian Olympic committee could expect a slew of exclusive uses in the Adirondacks, including Paul Smith’s dormitories, dining hall and fitness facilities some 28 miles away from the sliding track at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

• In return for $30 million in services and free rents, ORDA expected ticket sale revenue, domestic sponsorships and enhanced marketing programs to offset expenses.
• ORDA promised complete venue rental use of the Mount Van Hoevenberg complex from Jan. 2, 2026 to Feb. 26, 2026,with sliding center and Mountain Pass Lodge amenities, utilities and existing maintenance crews for track and facilities, cleaning and waste, storage, food and beverage and staff.
• It also promised use of the Lake Placid Olympic Center and Conference Center from Jan. 23, 2026 to Feb. 26, 2026, including use of operational professionals and utilities.
• At Paul Smith’s, the athlete’s village would be set up from Jan. 23, 2026 to Feb. 25, 2026, with up to 800 beds and amenities.
• In Lake Placid, ORDA promised use of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center from Jan. 23, 2026 to Feb. 26, 2026, including accommodations, food and beverage for designated representees onsite.
• The authority said it would rent Rockefeller Center in Manhattan for 22 days and would pay for overnight accommodations and two meals for 450 people. The center would be used for “red carpet rink medal ceremonies.”
• Plus, the Italian committee would be granted expanded use of ORDA professionals for planning. ORDA committed to giving a quarter of its operations staff ‘s time to the Italians for a year leading up to the Olympics in Lake Placid and 75% of the staff’s time during the eight weeks surrounding the event.

Norfolk said ORDA anticipates 5,000 paying customers a day during the sliding events. Ticket prices have not been determined. She assumed that ORDA could find sponsors in the New York City market.

The next Winter Olympics available for New York would be after 2034. Norfolk said the village might be unable to host such a major event alone, but might be able to find a partner in a bigger market, such as Montreal or New York City, to jointly put on an Olympics.

Photo at top: Jamaican bobsledders train at the Olympic facility in Lake Placid. Photo by Nancie Battaglia