Lake Placid in the running to stage bobsled, skeleton and luge for Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games

[GBModerator]

Medal ceremonies at New York City's Rockefeller Center and a home for Italy's siding team among promises if Lake Placid selected to host 2026 Winter Olympics events for a record-breaking third time

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[Sigh]

According to Italian media:

Timeline:

December 19 prelimary decision. Well, consider that date preliminary since the orignal date for the preliminary decision was two meetings on December 5 and 6 but those were dead-locked.

Final decision "by the end of January".

 

Formal offers with full documentation for evaluation have been received from St Moritz, Innsbruck (Igls), Germany (three venues) and Lake Placid.

Both St Moritz and Lake Placid have the potential to become "triple olympics" venues.

 

The political fight within Italy continues. Strong forces still insist on an Italian venue. Forces in Lombardia lean towards St Moritz (for political reasons). Both La Repubblica and La Stampa claim that St Moritz and Igls are the only foreign venues seriously considered.

Several proposals for permanent/temporary light/ordinary sliding venues at various location in Italy are still bandied around.

Given the character of Olympic games (as we have seen recently over and over again): DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE POLITICS.

[Bear]

I hope that the obvious logistical challenges are ignored and that Lake Placid's proposal gets approved because that would be really fun(ny) to see

[FYI]

What a weird thing to say. 

[FYI]

2 hours ago, Sigh said:

Given the character of Olympic games (as we have seen recently over and over again): DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE POLITICS.

Politics & the Olympics go hand-in-hand. Always have, always will. So no surprise there really. Only new-norm fanatics did the underestimating in that sphere.

The notion that politics & the Olympics are (or should be kept) separate is truly one of the biggest laughable farces that there is. lol

[cfm Jeremie]

This is political theatre at its best.

A decision in January is barely before the 2 years to go mark. Who with a sound mind can believe it is possible to (re)build a sliding track, get it homologated and tested within 48 months?

[yoshi]

Well isn't St Moritz a completely natural track? So it must be built new every year because even there, it gets warm in summer. This is a state of chaos though, that's probably gonna make the IOC seriously consider the future of these sports. Even as someone from a country that gets most of its winter medals from the track, that'd probably be for the best long term, needing a second country so far away can't have helped Sweden either. 

[Australian Kiwi]

so its...

2018 - Pyeongchang, South Korea

2022 - Beijing, China

2026 - Milano-Cortina, Italy and Lake Placid-New York City, United States

2030 - Nice-Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes-Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

[FYI]

I wouldn't consider Latvia, in Sweden's case, as being 'so far away'. Nor Switzerland, Austria or even Germany, in Italy's case. But considering far-flung places like Lake Placid or Beijing for Milan, now that is so far away. And should be nixed from consideration right from the get-go.

[Sigh]

42 minutes ago, Australian Kiwi said:

so its...

2018 - Pyeongchang, South Korea

2022 - Beijing, China

2026 - Milano-Cortina, Italy and Lake Placid-New York City, United States

2030 - Nice-Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes-Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

You could possibly add Netherlands or Germany for the skating oval in 2030.

However, I personally don't believe that will happen. Why? Chauvinism!

The only problem is that an oval in France, whether temporary or not, will upset the finely tuned balance between AURA and PACA.

Some nitpicking: Nice is not separate from PACA.

 

Just an observation: St Moritz is much closer to Milano than Cortina is.

[Olympian1010]

8 hours ago, yoshi said:

Well isn't St Moritz a completely natural track? So it must be built new every year because even there, it gets warm in summer. 

Yes, it is built from scratch every autumn. 

[cfm Jeremie]

Yes but it is a natural track as pointed out: so you don’t have the very complexe icing system infrastructure that must be embedded into the concrete construction. Furthermore it is built every year on the same site which is already prepared by an experienced team…

So completely different thing with what would need to be done in either Cortina or Cesana.

[fusilli]

As absurd as it all may sound, this actually may turn to be the closest chance (in near future) for New York City to finally host an olympic event. 

[baron-pierreIV]

1 hour ago, fusilli said:

As absurd as it all may sound, this actually may turn to be the closest chance (in near future) for New York City to finally host an olympic event. 

Well, the start of the LA 1984 Torch run began in front of the United Nations on First Avenue.  Four years before, in Jan 1980, the Lake Placid Torch run ran through the streets of Manhattan.  (Actually, I saw part of that.  I was working on 5th Avenue but when I knew the LP80 Torch was being run up Sixth Avenue, I went over to see it -- by the ABC Building on 6th.)  So New York City has been touched by "Olympic events."  Plus, Samaranch Sr., came to the UN for the signing of the agreement with the UN.  

Edited December 9, 2023 by baron-pierreIV

[Sigh]

1 hour ago, fusilli said:

As absurd as it all may sound, this actually may turn to be the closest chance (in near future) for New York City to finally host an olympic event. 

I take for granted that New York banks have been heavily involved in the loans financing various games.

[baron-pierreIV]

13 minutes ago, Sigh said:

I take for granted that New York banks have been heavily involved in the loans financing various games.

The banks don't make outright loans to finance Games.  They sign up as sponsors and thus contribute cash.  For LP1980, if I recall, Irving Trust was the Official bank.  (ALso, the Whitney family donated like $5 mil cash for LP.)  For LA 1984, First Interstate was the Official Bank.  Atlanta 1996 had NationsBank.  I don't know who SLC 2002 use, but the Eccles Family, major stockholders of Wells Fargo bank and SLC-based, made like $12.5 million donation via the Eccles Family Foundation--to refurbish Rice-Eccles and then the last $4.5 mil costs to design, develop, install and move the Cauldron-Tower.  

[Australian Kiwi]

3 hours ago, fusilli said:

As absurd as it all may sound, this actually may turn to be the closest chance (in near future) for New York City to finally host an olympic event. 

I'm surprised there has been no effort in recent years for a joint NYC-LP Winter Olympic bid.

Track / alpine in Lake Placid region and hockey/ ice skating etc at NYC's various indoor arenas. 

[krow]

23 hours ago, FYI said:

What a weird thing to say. 

no let him cook that would be really funny.

[fusilli]

22 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

Well, the start of the LA 1984 Torch run began in front of the United Nations on First Avenue.  Four years before, in Jan 1980, the Lake Placid Torch run ran through the streets of Manhattan.  (Actually, I saw part of that.  I was working on 5th Avenue but when I knew the LP80 Torch was being run up Sixth Avenue, I went over to see it -- by the ABC Building on 6th.)  So New York City has been touched by "Olympic events."  Plus, Samaranch Sr., came to the UN for the signing of the agreement with the UN.  

Medal ceremonies at the 30 Rock is just another level of involvement, though.

[FYI]

21 hours ago, Australian Kiwi said:

I'm surprised there has been no effort in recent years for a joint NYC-LP Winter Olympic bid.

That’s because NYC is not interested in the Olympics. Their failed 2012 Summer attempt was basically their most recent one-&-done Olympic bid.

[baron-pierreIV]

2 hours ago, FYI said:

That’s because NYC is not interested in the Olympics. Their failed 2012 Summer attempt was basically their most recent one-&-done Olympic bid.

Actually, they had interest in 1984 -- and, with Tony Estanguet taking a page from the early NYC 1984 book, the plan was to have the Nations march down Broadway to a ticker-tape parade down in Wall Street.  But then, there were still MANY venues NYC didn't have -- which LA had; and the SCCOG was, of course, more aggressive in pushing LA's 1984 candidacy more than NYC.  I think I still have the NY Times' clippings reporting this.  

[FYI]

45 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

Actually, they had interest in 1984

That's why I said "their most 'recent' one-&-done".

[FYI]

Plus, their 2012 bid was basically their only (recent), full-fledged attempt since NYC actually made it to the IOC voting table that time. 

[arwebb]

Not sure if I was the only one checking the calendar before reading this but part of me certainly wondered if April 1 had come round already. I can't imagine anyone doubting the suitability of the Lake Placid track for the job but surely a closer solution is a better one.