The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority 2025 winter events schedule will feature World Cup events in three different sports and the International Bobsled & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Championships set for March 2025 showcasing the Olympic legacy that continues in Lake Placid. The announcement follows the recent news that Lake Placid has entered targeted dialogue as the Plan B backup for sliding events for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
“For decades, New York State’s commitment to winter sports has kept the Olympic flame burning bright in Lake Placid,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This is a testament to the investment in the legacy that we continue to provide Lake Placid.”
The 1980 Winter Olympics took place Feb. 13-24, 1980, and was the second time Lake Placid hosted the Games. The U.S. men’s hockey team’s improbable win over the Russians, known as “Miracle on Ice,” and speed skater Eric Heiden’s five gold medals made the 1980 Games one of the most memorable.
Highlights of the Olympic Authority’s 2025 winter schedule include the return of International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Aerials World Cup on Jan. 18-19, the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, which will now include both men’s and women’s competitions on Feb. 7-9, and the FIS Nordic Jr. World Ski Championships on Feb. 12-16.
The IBSF Bobsled & Skeleton World Championships is the premier event of the bobsled and skeleton season – the Super Bowl of the sport – annually crowning champions and creating career-defining moments for the best sliders in the world. Hosting the event for the 11th time in its storied history, Mt Van Hoevenberg has established a reputation as one of the most technical and iconic tracks in the world. The 2025 World Championships takes on added significance and notoriety as athletes and enthusiasts set their sights on the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The Lake Placid – New York State sliding events proposal outlined a solution to host and inspire a new generation in partnership with Milano Cortina 2026, utilizing the State’s historic investments in Olympic Authority facilities and its ongoing legacy of international winter sport, with the fervor of New York City and its Little Italy neighborhood to celebrate the athletes and sport. The distance from New York City to Lake Placid is 290 miles and mirrors Milano Cortina 2026, which will be the first Olympic Winter Games to identify two cities as hosts, with sanctioned events taking place in numerous cities across northern Italy. If activated, Plan B will provide athletes with the best of both experiences – a fair and demanding competition venue, historic Olympic-village, and a New York City fan zone with a celebration center with medal ceremonies.
Olympic Authority President and CEO Ashley Walden said, “The Olympic Authority has hosted over 500 national and international competitions, 19 World Championships, and countless seasonal festivals, entertainment shows, skating competitions, ski races, youth hockey tournaments, and so much more. With the State’s investment in the venues, we continue to host a robust schedule of events attracting the world’s best athletes and a diverse range of spectators to our venues and mountains. This ultimately enables the Olympic Authority to continue to fulfill its mission of creating economic and social benefits for the region by responsibly operating the venues used during the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.”
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