Lake Placid-NYC exploratory group meet with eye toward 2042

NEW YORK, Oct 19 : A joint Lake Placid-New York City Olympic bid for 2042 moved one step closer to reality on Monday, as members of an exploratory committee met for the first time in Manhattan with the five boroughs aiming for their first-ever Winter Games.

An enviable array of arenas bolsters the five boroughs' latest campaign for the Games while Lake Placid boasts Olympic pedigree after hosting in 1932 and 1980.

But even 16 years out, committee members are working to identify any potential obstacles that could stand in their way, after the IOC overhauled bidding rules this year under new President Kirsty ​Coventry.

"Transportation particularly will be one of the biggest challenges. The Milano Cortina model has shown though that they were able to work through those. They didn't have high-speed rail connecting the two, but they were able to successfully deliver the games despite that," Olympic Regional Development Authority Chair Ashley Walden told Reuters.

"So it's something that certainly will be looked at and particularly I think is going to be identified as a legacy item because it is a need for the long term."

The 2026 Milano Cortina Games have been held up as an example of a successful dispersed Olympics, with events spread out across northern Italy.

No high-speed rail connects New York City with Lake Placid, a picturesque Adirondack ski town that would become the first city to host three times if the bid is successful. Housing in New York state's "North Country" also presents a potential challenge. The 1980 Olympic village was later turned into a medium-security prison.

"This is going to be a generational opportunity," New York Governor Kathy Hochul told committee members.

"The planning now, the talk, the buzz, the