WELCOME TO LAKE PLACID
Lake Placid residents are proud of their Olympic heritage, not just because they have hosted two Olympic Winter Games (in 1932 and 1980) but because this village and surrounding towns consistently send young athletes to the Olympics every four years. In 2010, several athletes from the Olympic region traveled to Vancouver to compete in the XXI Olympic Winter Games from Feb. 12 to 28.
We were proud to see the following athletes represent the Adirondack Park in the Olympics in 2010: Lowell Bailey, of Lake Placid, biathlon; Tim Burke, of Paul Smiths, biathlon; Ashley Caldwell, of Lake Placid, freestyle ski aerials; Bill Demong, of Vermontville, nordic combined; Peter Frenette, of Saranac Lake, ski jumping; Haley Johnson, of Lake Placid, biathlon; Chris Mazdzer, of Saranac Lake, luge; John Napier, of Lake Placid, bobsled; and Andrew Weibrecht, of Lake Placid, alpine skiing.
The Olympic venues, operated by the New York State Olympic Development Authority, give local athletes a chance to train on their home turf. In addition, the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid plays host to athletes training for a wide selection of winter and summer sports, including biathlon, bobsled, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, skiing, speed skating, boxing, canoe and kayak, judo, rowing, synchronized swimming, taekwondo, team handball, and wrestling.
Above all, for local athletes who live in or near Lake Placid, there is one beacon of hope that keeps them focused on their Olympic dreams: the 1980 Olympic torch, which still stands at the North Elba Horse Show Grounds. It is a reminder of our Olympic roots, dating to 1924 when Lake Placid resident Charles Jewtraw won the first gold medal—for speed skating—during the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France. Maybe some of that Olympic spirit will rub off on you.
Enjoy your stay in Lake Placid.
Andy and Dawn Flynn, Publishers
