The U.S. may get a taste of the Olympics sooner than expected, as Italy is exploring the possibility of hosting some events outside of the country for the 2026 games.
While the next Winter Olympics and Paralympics are set to be held in northern Italy, the venue for sliding sports has been up in the air for several months. According to USA Today, organizers initially proposed spending around $60 million to hold events at a venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo, however, construction delays led to a price tag of around $160 million.
USOPC chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland said during a media teleconference that American, German, Austrian, and Swiss Olympic committees were contacted to serve as potential sliding hosts, and last week, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced that authorities in Lake Placid submitted a proposal to hold sliding events including bobsled, skeleton, and luge.
“I’m proud to say that the New York Olympic Authority has stepped up and that we’re fully supportive of their efforts to welcome the world in 2026 for this important element of the competition,” Hirshland said.
This wouldn’t be the first time Lake Placid had dipped its toes in the Olympics; the New York town in the Adirondack Mountains hosted the Olympics back in 1932 and 1980, becoming the only U.S. city to host two editions of the Winter Games.
While nothing has been finalized at this time, organizers are also seeking to hold the sliding events in Switzerland or Austria, as they are closer in proximity to Italy. An agreement has been made with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to find a solution by January 2024, as test events will begin in 2025.
