2016 Youth Olympics could come to Lake Placid
CHRIS KNIGHT, For the News
LAKE PLACID — The prospect of this village hosting a Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016 received a high-profile boost last month when village Mayor Craig Randall and Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau President and CEO James McKenna traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland.
Randall and McKenna were there to attend the second annual meeting of the World Union of Olympic Cities, which took place Nov. 19-21 and was hosted by the International Olympic Committee.
At one point during the summit, IOC President Jacques Rogge asked the Lake Placid officials if they planned to submit a bid to host the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics.
“I think his words were, ‘Why don’t you consider bidding for the Winter Youth Olympics,’” McKenna said. “We didn’t expect him to ask that.”
“If I read between the lines, there was some encouragement there,” Randall said. “We’ll see where it goes.”
McKenna stressed that a decision about Lake Placid even putting together a bid hasn’t been made and would need to be done in consultation with the U.S. Olympic Committee.
But the fact that Rogge asked the question may be a good sign.
“We wanted to talk to him about it, but he brought it up before we did,” McKenna said.
Youth Olympics here?
The Youth Olympic Games are an international, multi-sport event created in 2007 that will be held every four years. The idea for the event, which features athletes between the ages of 14 and 18, was envisioned by Rogge in 2001.
The inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore in 2010, followed by the first-ever Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria in January 2012.
Lake Placid was considering a bid for the 2012 youth games, but the USOC decided not to submit any proposals so as not to interfere with Chicago’s ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Envisioned as a smaller-scale version of the Olympics, the Winter Youth Olympics could be the right size for Lake Placid, “although they’re still big,” McKenna said. The games would take place over nine days and will involve nearly 1,000 athletes, nearly the same number that competed in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. The games have grown dramatically since then — 5,500 athletes and team officials are expected to be in Vancouver in February for the 2010 Winter Olympics, plus 1,350 for the corresponding Paralympic Games, according to Vancouver 2010 spokeswoman Suzanne Walters.
The next Winter Youth Olympics after Innsbruck will be held in 2016. McKenna said there are at least three other cities or countries actively pursuing bids.
“Our elected officials have to decide whether they want to do that because there’s a lot involved,” McKenna said. “It’s not like bidding for the Ironman or bobsleigh championships. It’s not an easy thing.”
Randall said the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, town of North Elba officials and others would have to be involved in the decision to submit a bid, which he said is a possibility.
“I’m inspired enough about the possibility to try and bring together a meeting of the minds and resources that exist,” Randall said. “We’d certainly want to consider the prospects.”
At the same time as Randall and McKenna were in Lausanne, a contingent of USOC officials were touring Lake Placid and its state-owned Olympic venues. Randall said the group was led by Chris Sullivan, who was the USOC’s chief bid officer for Chicago’s Olympic bid and is a former vice president of corporate development for ORDA.
Sullivan reportedly told Randall that they were impressed with the village’s spirit and facilities.
“It appears that we’ll have the support and encouragement we’ll need,” Randall said.
USOC Chief Communications Officer Patrick Sandusky said the visit was an opportunity for senior management officials to "see Lake Placid, understand the facilities up there and see the legacy that the Olympics left."
Sandusky said the tour wasn't tied to a Lake Placid bid for the Winter Youth Olympics. He said the USOC is reviewing its bidding strategy for all future Olympics.
"All I will say is Lake Placid is a great living legacy of two Olympic Games and the benefits those games can bring to a community, particularly if they continue to be well-managed and funded after the games," Sandusky said.
Lake Placid’s stature
Lake Placid’s position as a member of the World Union of Olympic Cities, which was launched last year, could help its chances of submitting a successful bid. McKenna said the village hasn’t had much of a connection with international Olympic officials since it hosted the 1980 winter games.
“The fact that we’re maintaining a presence with the IOC and the other cities, and that we’re talking at this level — we do have some stature out there,” he said. “It’s a connection we haven’t had since pre-1980.”
Lake Placid has been given a seat on the World Union’s Executive Committee in the coming year.
McKenna said the IOC wants cities submitting bids for any upcoming Olympics to look beyond the short-term benefits of hosting the games.
“It has to be much bigger than a sports event,” he said. “We need to use the investments and the enthusiasm to create long-term benefits for our communities by improving housing and infrastructure.”
Sounds familiar
Rogge’s comments at last month’s summit are somewhat reminiscent of what then-IOC President Lord Killanin told members of the Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee in Lausanne in 1973, after the 1976 Winter Olympics were awarded to Innsbruck.
Howard Riley, who was there as a reporter for the Enterprise, recalled Killanin shaking hands with committee members and praising their presentation to the IOC.
“As he walked away, he winked and said, “‘We’ll see you in 1980,’” Riley said.
The next year, the IOC awarded the 1980 Winter Olympics to Lake Placid.
The summit
Randall recapped the Lausanne summit at Monday night’s village Board of Trustees meeting. He said it focused on how former Olympic sites like Lake Placid can preserve their communities and their Olympic legacies. It also included informational sessions on incorporating sustainability into planning for the Olympic Games and the challenges and benefits of bidding for major events, including the Olympics.
Randall said he was excited to be able to sit with representatives of several past and future Olympic cities including Beijing, which hosted the 2008 summer games; London, which will host the 2012 Summer Olympics; and Rio De Janeiro, which was recently awarded the 2016 summer games.
“It was the neatest thing in the world,” Randall said.
At next year’s summit, the village will be making a presentation on Lake Placid’s success in maintaining its Olympic venues and heritage, Randall said. He visited former Winter Olympic facilities in Chamonix and Albertville, France during the trip and found they were not as well taken care of.
“We’re very fortunate,” he said. “Our facilities are maintained, and we look like we’re open for business.”
It costs $7,500 to be a member of the World Union of Olympic Cities. The village currently covers one-third of that cost while the Visitors Bureau picks up the rest. Randall said he’s hoping the town of North Elba will contribute funds next year.
“I think it’s $7,500 well spent,” said Trustee David Jones. “Lake Placid needs to keep its name in the Olympic circles.”
The mayor’s airfare and travel expenses to Switzerland, which totaled $778, were covered by the village. The Visitors’ Bureau paid for McKenna’s airfare and travel costs. The City of Lausanne and the World Union of Olympic Cities covered room and board for both men during the summit.
McKenna and then-mayor Jamie Rogers attended last year’s summit in Lausanne.
POSTED: December 11, 2009
LAKE PLACID — The prospect of this village hosting a Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016 received a high-profile boost last month when village Mayor Craig Randall and Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau President and CEO James McKenna traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland.
Randall and McKenna were there to attend the second annual meeting of the World Union of Olympic Cities, which took place Nov. 19-21 and was hosted by the International Olympic Committee.
At one point during the summit, IOC President Jacques Rogge asked the Lake Placid officials if they planned to submit a bid to host the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics.
“I think his words were, ‘Why don’t you consider bidding for the Winter Youth Olympics,’” McKenna said. “We didn’t expect him to ask that.”
“If I read between the lines, there was some encouragement there,” Randall said. “We’ll see where it goes.”
McKenna stressed that a decision about Lake Placid even putting together a bid hasn’t been made and would need to be done in consultation with the U.S. Olympic Committee.
But the fact that Rogge asked the question may be a good sign.
“We wanted to talk to him about it, but he brought it up before we did,” McKenna said.
Youth Olympics here?
The Youth Olympic Games are an international, multi-sport event created in 2007 that will be held every four years. The idea for the event, which features athletes between the ages of 14 and 18, was envisioned by Rogge in 2001.
The inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore in 2010, followed by the first-ever Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria in January 2012.
Lake Placid was considering a bid for the 2012 youth games, but the USOC decided not to submit any proposals so as not to interfere with Chicago’s ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Envisioned as a smaller-scale version of the Olympics, the Winter Youth Olympics could be the right size for Lake Placid, “although they’re still big,” McKenna said. The games would take place over nine days and will involve nearly 1,000 athletes, nearly the same number that competed in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. The games have grown dramatically since then — 5,500 athletes and team officials are expected to be in Vancouver in February for the 2010 Winter Olympics, plus 1,350 for the corresponding Paralympic Games, according to Vancouver 2010 spokeswoman Suzanne Walters.
The next Winter Youth Olympics after Innsbruck will be held in 2016. McKenna said there are at least three other cities or countries actively pursuing bids.
“Our elected officials have to decide whether they want to do that because there’s a lot involved,” McKenna said. “It’s not like bidding for the Ironman or bobsleigh championships. It’s not an easy thing.”
Randall said the state Olympic Regional Development Authority, town of North Elba officials and others would have to be involved in the decision to submit a bid, which he said is a possibility.
“I’m inspired enough about the possibility to try and bring together a meeting of the minds and resources that exist,” Randall said. “We’d certainly want to consider the prospects.”
At the same time as Randall and McKenna were in Lausanne, a contingent of USOC officials were touring Lake Placid and its state-owned Olympic venues. Randall said the group was led by Chris Sullivan, who was the USOC’s chief bid officer for Chicago’s Olympic bid and is a former vice president of corporate development for ORDA.
Sullivan reportedly told Randall that they were impressed with the village’s spirit and facilities.
“It appears that we’ll have the support and encouragement we’ll need,” Randall said.
USOC Chief Communications Officer Patrick Sandusky said the visit was an opportunity for senior management officials to "see Lake Placid, understand the facilities up there and see the legacy that the Olympics left."
Sandusky said the tour wasn't tied to a Lake Placid bid for the Winter Youth Olympics. He said the USOC is reviewing its bidding strategy for all future Olympics.
"All I will say is Lake Placid is a great living legacy of two Olympic Games and the benefits those games can bring to a community, particularly if they continue to be well-managed and funded after the games," Sandusky said.
Lake Placid’s stature
Lake Placid’s position as a member of the World Union of Olympic Cities, which was launched last year, could help its chances of submitting a successful bid. McKenna said the village hasn’t had much of a connection with international Olympic officials since it hosted the 1980 winter games.
“The fact that we’re maintaining a presence with the IOC and the other cities, and that we’re talking at this level — we do have some stature out there,” he said. “It’s a connection we haven’t had since pre-1980.”
Lake Placid has been given a seat on the World Union’s Executive Committee in the coming year.
McKenna said the IOC wants cities submitting bids for any upcoming Olympics to look beyond the short-term benefits of hosting the games.
“It has to be much bigger than a sports event,” he said. “We need to use the investments and the enthusiasm to create long-term benefits for our communities by improving housing and infrastructure.”
Sounds familiar
Rogge’s comments at last month’s summit are somewhat reminiscent of what then-IOC President Lord Killanin told members of the Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee in Lausanne in 1973, after the 1976 Winter Olympics were awarded to Innsbruck.
Howard Riley, who was there as a reporter for the Enterprise, recalled Killanin shaking hands with committee members and praising their presentation to the IOC.
“As he walked away, he winked and said, “‘We’ll see you in 1980,’” Riley said.
The next year, the IOC awarded the 1980 Winter Olympics to Lake Placid.
The summit
Randall recapped the Lausanne summit at Monday night’s village Board of Trustees meeting. He said it focused on how former Olympic sites like Lake Placid can preserve their communities and their Olympic legacies. It also included informational sessions on incorporating sustainability into planning for the Olympic Games and the challenges and benefits of bidding for major events, including the Olympics.
Randall said he was excited to be able to sit with representatives of several past and future Olympic cities including Beijing, which hosted the 2008 summer games; London, which will host the 2012 Summer Olympics; and Rio De Janeiro, which was recently awarded the 2016 summer games.
“It was the neatest thing in the world,” Randall said.
At next year’s summit, the village will be making a presentation on Lake Placid’s success in maintaining its Olympic venues and heritage, Randall said. He visited former Winter Olympic facilities in Chamonix and Albertville, France during the trip and found they were not as well taken care of.
“We’re very fortunate,” he said. “Our facilities are maintained, and we look like we’re open for business.”
It costs $7,500 to be a member of the World Union of Olympic Cities. The village currently covers one-third of that cost while the Visitors Bureau picks up the rest. Randall said he’s hoping the town of North Elba will contribute funds next year.
“I think it’s $7,500 well spent,” said Trustee David Jones. “Lake Placid needs to keep its name in the Olympic circles.”
The mayor’s airfare and travel expenses to Switzerland, which totaled $778, were covered by the village. The Visitors’ Bureau paid for McKenna’s airfare and travel costs. The City of Lausanne and the World Union of Olympic Cities covered room and board for both men during the summit.
McKenna and then-mayor Jamie Rogers attended last year’s summit in Lausanne.
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