LAKE PLACID, Vt. (WCAX) – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul traveled to the North Country Tuesday to unveil details of her proposed budget that includes continued major investments in Olympic facilities in the Lake Placid area. It comes at the same time as Lake Placid is in the running to become an Olympic host for some upcoming events.
“I am excited to write the next chapter for Lake Placid and American sports right here and I know we can do that. And our budget reflects that commitment to all facets of life here in the North Country and the great state of New York,” Hocul said.
In addition to money for housing, climate resiliency, and public safety, Hochul says her $233 billion proposed budget contains the funding needed to see another international sporting event back in the Adirondacks. “I believe that someday we can even bring the Winter Olympics back to Lake Placid and we need to start preparing,” she said. Preparations that she says start with more than $80 million for the Olympic Regional Development Authority.
“There has been a tremendous amount of investment here at the Olympic venues and there is more that needs to be done and we are committed and we are again just so grateful to have the support,” said ORDA’s Ashley Walden. She says the chance to play host could be coming sooner than later and that they are awaiting a final decision from the International Olympic Committee on whether the 2026 sliding games will be hosted at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. “We are very much hoping that — and you heard from the governor today — that she is supportive of this — that they will select Lake Placid and we can have a third edition of the Olympics here.”
“I believe we are ready, but the more time we have — if they are going to have some of the sledding events, bobsledding events. This is the pitch I made to them back in NYC back in December, laid out all the reasons why they should come and have some of the competitions right here and I am excited about it,” Hochul said.
Although the rest of the 2026 Winter Olympics is in Italy, Walden says they expect a decision on the sliding games to be handed down by the IOC in the next few weeks.
