Brooklyn, NY – Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D/WF-Brooklyn) and former New York State Assemblymember Billy Jones' Op-Ed calling for a joint NYC- Lake Placid Winter Olympics bid was published in the Daily News today.

You can read the Op-Ed here or below: 

New York has always been a place where the world comes together to create, to compete, and to dream. New York City is the global capital of culture and possibility. Five hours north, in the heart of the Adirondacks, lies Lake Placid surrounded by peaks alive with Olympic history. One is vast and vertical; the other intimate and alpine. Together, they form an inspirational partnership: urban and rural, electric and serene, capable of showcasing the Olympic spirit to the world.

A New York City-Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games would welcome the world, showcasing our shared history and iconic venues. No city embodies diversity like New York. Home to communities from nearly every nation on the planet, every neighborhood is a world unto itself. Lake Placid, is the heart of America’s winter sports legacy — a village that welcomed the world in 1932  and again in 1980, and still nurtures the Olympic spirit. From hosting World Cup competitions to training athletes from 23 countries – ranging from traditional winter sports powerhouses to emerging programs in Ghana and Vietnam – the Adirondacks remain a place where athletes chase their dreams. Together, NYC and Lake Placid prove that communities thrive when they welcome the world as neighbors.

The future of the Olympic movement depends on sustainability. Past Games have been plagued by ballooning budgets, underused facilities, and disruptions to local communities. New York already possesses the necessary world-class sports infrastructure and a proven record of hosting international events. By thoughtfully dividing events between NYC and Lake Placid, we can minimize disruption, maximize efficiency, and set a new standard for responsible Olympic planning. With the nation’s largest media market, ideal time zone, and established venues, a NYC-Lake Placid games would deliver record attendance, viewership, and revenue. But the legacy would not end with the Closing Ceremony. Investments in public transit, housing, accessibility, and youth sport would serve generations to come. A legacy fund could expand access to skating, skiing, and adaptive winter sport programs across the state, ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code or background, can experience the exhilaration of movement and the joy of belonging.

Imagine an Opening Ceremony that transforms Times Square into a winter celebration – where Broadway performers, and world-class athletes gather at the Crossroads of the World. Amid falling ticker-tape snow and shimmering marquee lights, the Olympic flame ignites against the backdrop of the skyline. Streets and subways will be lined with flags and fans from every nation in the world as they converge on Madison Square Garden for ice hockey, the Barclays Center for figure skating and short-track speed skating and Yankee Stadium for the big air competition. In Lake Placid, legacy Olympic facilities will host alpine and sliding events. From skiing at Whiteface Mountain, which boasts the largest continuous vertical drop in the East, to bobsled at Mount Van Hoevenberg’s historic sliding center, to cross-county skiing through the forests of the Adirondacks, the crowds will be ready to witness new miracles. The true power of this vision lies not in spectacle, but in connection – between city and village. A NYC-Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games will invite every community, every school, and every neighborhood to take part. Whether volunteering, hosting, teaching, or simply cheering, millions could share in.

The upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games demonstrates how two regions, urban and alpine, modern and traditional, can unite to host a sustainable, multi-centered Games. New York City-Lake Placid can perfect that model. But time is of the essence. The International Olympic Committee  now awards the Games more than a decade in advance. New York must begin engaging communities, building partnerships, and defining a shared vision that reflects the soul of our state and the ideals of the Olympics. New Yorkers from every background must create an exploratory committee to consider a joint NYC-Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games. This isn’t a commitment to host the Games, but a chance to decide together whether the dream is right.

If we embrace this dream, residents, athletes, businesses, educators, and artists can unite to build a celebration that honors our history, inspires the world, and bonds generations of New Yorkers to come. Our state motto, Excelsior, meaning “ever upward,” mirrors the Olympic motto, Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter: faster, higher, stronger, together. From the bright lights of NYC to the snowy peaks of Lake Placid, we will always rise ever upward. But by hosting the Winter Olympic Games, we can do it faster, higher, stronger, and most importantly, together.