Olympics
Could winter sports’ biggest stage return to the Empire State for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice”?
New York has not hosted the Winter Olympics since the 1980 Lake Placid Games, but state officials are exploring options to bring the Games back. Leading the effort is State Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has assembled a committee with the hopes of creating a partnership between Lake Placid and New York City to bid to co-host the Games as early as 2042.
Despite the challenges of hosting the Olympic Games, Hochul believes New Yorkers are ready.
“I’ve actually been having significant meetings on this, putting together the individuals who I would want to be part of a committee. It’s complicated, but we are up for it,” Hochul said in an interview with The Athletic.
Hochul is aiming for a bid in which New York City and Lake Placid would serve as co-hosts. The recent 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics followed a similar structure, with events split between the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. It was the first time two cities had shared the Olympic Games.
With a co-hosting approach, major indoor New York City venues like Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center can accommodate indoor sports like hockey and curling. Outdoor venues, such as Yankee Stadium, can also host outdoor events. Lake Placid’s existing Olympic venues will also play a role, with sites such as the Olympic Jumping Complex, Mount Van Hoevenberg, and Whiteface Mountain able to host competition. State Assemblyman Robert Carroll believes that “little to no new sports infrastructure will be needed” if New York were to host the Games.
“What New York offers is unmatched: a concentration of world-class sports venues unlike anywhere else on earth,” Carroll wrote in a USA Today article. Carroll believes that a New York Olympics “could easily best Milan Cortina.”
Despite the excitement surrounding hosting the Olympics, New York will likely have to wait until at least 2042 to get their bid. The 2030 (French Alps) and 2034 (Utah) locations have already been decided, and Switzerland is currently in a “privileged dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee on hosting the 2038 Winter Olympics.
Nonetheless, hosting the Olympics is an opportunity to improve infrastructure between New York City and upstate cities like Lake Placid. Shuttle systems can help spectators quickly get from one host city to another without hassle. New Yorkers have also been calling for an improved rail system between New York City and the upstate region, and an Olympic Games could facilitate those upgrades.
“With the right planning, a future Olympics bid could even accelerate long-overdue investment in one of the busiest rail corridors in the country,” Carroll wrote.
In a country where Western cities dominate Olympic bids, New York wants to bring the games to the East Coast. While it will have to sit back and watch Los Angeles and Salt Lake City have their fun in 2028 and 2034, respectively, the state believes it is ready to take on the Olympic challenge.
“The Olympic flame should not stop at the Rockies. It is time to bring it to New York,” Carroll wrote.
I’d like to see some of the excellent Vermont ski slopes included for consideration in an East Coast Olympics – many good options in Vermont to add to Whiteface and Gore