Hochul creates panel to study feasibility of NYS hosting 2042 Winter Olympics

ALBANY — New York State could host the 2042 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games under a push by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Hochul on Monday announced the creation of an exploratory committee to evaluate whether it would be feasible for the state to host the games with events in New York City and Lake Placid. The panel, over the course of the next year, will look at the cost, existing venues, and whether there’s community support to host the games, according to a news release.

"The time is now to return the Olympic flame back to New York," Hochul said in the release. "It’s clear we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build on Lake Placid's Olympic legacy, New York City's global platform, and the strengths that make our State unique."

Lake Placid is one of only a handful of communities to have hosted the Olympic Winter Games twice, in 1932 and in 1980, and is home to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. The small upstate village is famous for hosting the "Miracle on Ice" game in 1980, when the U.S. men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history on the way to the gold.

The push for a dual-city Olympic Games comes after the Milano-Cortina games in Italy this past winter. It was the first time the games had two official host cities. Lake Placid was designated the official contingency site for the 2026 sliding events, including luge, bobsled and skeleton.

The exploratory committee, chaired by Ashley Walden, president and CEO of the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, will include state and local government officials, as well as economic development and public service leaders. There also will be subcommittees to further delve into areas such as community engagement, potential legal matters and finance.

The exploratory committee will submit its findings to the state to review. The state will then have to decide whether to pursue a formal Olympic or Paralympic bid.

"Few places can match the combination of Olympic heritage, world-class venues and global reach found in New York State," Walden said in the release. "We are committed to approaching the exploratory committee’s work thoughtfully, transparently and with broad stakeholder engagement."