World Championships and World Cups in Three Different Sports in 2025 Winter Schedule

Lake Placid Celebrates 45th Anniversary of Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games

Lake Placid - New York State Is in Targeted Dialogue as the Plan B Back-Up Location For 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games’ Sliding Events

Follows State Investment To Upgrade Olympic Regional Development Authority Facilities

Lake Placid - Home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games – Continues To Attract World's Best Athletes to New York State

Olympic Authority's ‘Buffalo Bobsled’ Experience on December 29 To Highlight Lake Placid to Buffalo Connection For Upcoming World Sliding Competitions

Governor Kathy Hochul today highlighted the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority 2025 winter events schedule featuring 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 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.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “New York State’s historic investments to strengthen the Olympic Authority’s winter sports and tourism infrastructure continues to generate dividends. The breadth of events scheduled for early 2025, coupled with the recent news about Milano Cortina, demonstrate the importance of these investments and sites, which welcome athletes and visitors from around the world and support the regional tourism economy.”

The Olympic Authority will showcase the “Buffalo Bobsled” in the Billevard Fan Zone outside of Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park prior to kickoff of the Buffalo Bills’ final regular season home game this Sunday, Dec. 29. NBC commentator Cris Collinsworth coined the term “Buffalo Bobsled” during a broadcast last season to describe a short-yardage play where a Bills player pushed quarterback Josh Allen from behind to gain critical yards. The play’s alignment mirrors the start of a bobsled race, where athletes push the sled to build momentum at the top of the track. Visitors to the Billevard can explore this unique bobsled and enjoy a one-of-a-kind photo opportunity.

Fans will also have the chance to enter ticket giveaways, learn about Olympic Winter sports, the historic venues in Lake Placid, and hear about these upcoming events:

• Jan. 1-4: Jr. World Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined Qualifier (Olympic Jumping Complex)
• Jan. 13-19: FIL Continental Cup (Mt Van Hoevenberg)
• Jan. 18-19: Freestyle Aerials World Cup (Olympic Jumping Complex)
• Jan. 23-27: IBSF North American Cup Bobsled & Skeleton (Mt Van Hoevenberg)
• Jan. 30-Feb. 2: Empire State Games (all venues)
• Feb. 7-9: FIS Ski Jumping World Cup (Olympic Jumping Complex)
• Feb. 12-16: FIS Nordic Jr. World Ski Championships (Mt Van Hoevenberg)
• March 21-22: ECAC Men’s Ice Hockey Championship (Olympic Center)
• March 29-30: SuperTour Finals (Mt Van Hoevenberg)

With the ski and snowboard season picking up momentum at Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountains, racers and riders have a full slate of competitive events taking place. With different sized events and levels of competition for a wide variety of age groups, these events create a significant impact for the surrounding communities in the Adirondacks and Catskills and provide guests with the opportunity to spectate while they recreate. All three of the Olympic Authority ski areas will host freeride events, highlighted by the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Holeshot Cross Tour on Feb. 27-March 2 and Masters Nationals March 16-20 at Gore Mountain. The U14 Easterns will be hosted at both Whiteface and Belleayre mountains March 18-21 and Whiteface will also host a number of men's FIS and women’s FIS Eastern Cups, as well as the U16 NYSSRA Championships. Belleayre Mountain celebrates its 75th anniversary this winter season.

The Olympic Center hosts a series of youth and adult hockey tournaments, with almost every weekend filled with hockey action. These tournaments, which typically start on Thursday or Friday and end on Sunday, provide a significant economic boost to the Lake Placid region. In 2023-2024, Can/Am Hockey tournaments brought in approximately 20,000 multi-day visitors, many of whom visited during shoulder seasons.

Governor Hochul has maintained a strong commitment to supporting New York's tourism industry – one of the State's key economic drivers. As part of that commitment, the Governor has supported significant investments in the Olympic Authority facilities to help reposition the State of New York as a global winter sport destination. These investments have supported major sporting events like the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games held in Lake Placid last year. The major transformations and modernizations were executed with a focus on sustainability and financial responsibility.

Though the Olympic Authority’s impact as a major driver of tourism and regional economies has traditionally occurred in winter, the investments made in these venues in recent years have greatly expanded that impact to one that’s year-round. From scenic gondola rides at all three mountains to the Whiteface Veterans’ Memorial Highway to the longest mountain coaster in North America at Mt. Van Hoevenberg to a new rail and zipline attraction being installed at Gore Mountain’s North Creek Ski Bowl, and many other non-winter activities and attractions, Olympic Authority venues are offering a wellspring of adventure throughout the year for all ages and all abilities. More information can be found at www.lakeplacidlegacysites.com.

With the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, the Olympic Authority is planning a number of activities celebrating the 45th anniversary. Recently a flag mural was unveiled at Mt Van Hoevenberg which included 330 drawings from local students transformed into a large flag mural. Activities and events will be released at the beginning of the new year.

About the Olympic Regional Development Authority
Established in 1982, the Olympic Regional Development Authority was created by the State of New York following the 1980 Olympic Winter Games to manage, market, maintain, and provide first-class facilities for training and competitions at all venues. The Olympic Authority facilities include Mt Van Hoevenberg, the Olympic Center, the Olympic Jumping Complex, and three ski areas: Belleayre Mountain, Gore Mountain, and Whiteface Mountain, as well as the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, the U.S. Luge Association facility, and the Olympic Authority's Corporate offices in Lake Placid. The Olympic Authority manages the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and Lake Placid Conference Center.

The organization and its mission is still firmly in place today, providing an economic engine for the entire region through increased tourism and jobs. The Olympic Authority has a proven track record of orchestrating large-scale international events. The organization’s multi-faceted management team oversees a spectrum of crucial planning and support functions and will be an invaluable supporting partner to ensure the smooth execution of the sliding events.