Snowfall in the Adirondacks: Sport events the central theme at FISU Seminar in Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID, USA – With snow falling throughout the Adirondack Region, the FISU Winter Universiade department joined the Lake Placid 2023 World University Games local organising committee for a weeklong seminar as preparation for the event’s 31^st edition, which will take place in the historic northeastern mountain village from 12-22 January 2023.

The FISU Seminar brought together FISU staff and the local organising committee with external speakers, community stakeholders, Olympic Regional Development Authority executives and additional regional representatives for presentations and roundtable discussions regarding the planning needs, with this symposium’s focus squarely on delivering the sports events.

“The wide-ranging and in-depth information provided by the FISU team will go a long ways towards ensuring that the foundation plan being prepared by the Lake Placid 2023 ‘core team’ will be well-aligned with both FISU requirements and preferences and Lake Placid 2023 objectives and priorities,” said Alan Shaw of Epic Planning, who is working with the organising committee.

 Lake Placid welcomed the FISU team to northeastern corner of America with a blank of snow for the weeklong sessions of seminars focused on sports delivery for the World University Games 2023

During the seminar, the FISU Winter Universiade department had an opportunity to visit competition venues that will be used for cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, Nordic combined. During the visit, FISU representatives also visited the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, the United States’ main training venue for many of the country’s top winter sportspersons. During games-time, the Olympic training center will be used as dormitories for the World University Games 2023.

“The Olympic Training Center will have the opportunity to will welcome student-athletes very soon,” said Winter Universiade director Milan Augustin. “ This is a great legacy venue for the World University Games 2023 to use. I’m sure both Lake Placid residents and elite sports athletes that train there will benefit from this. During games-time, the center will provide new levels of support for athlete testing and recovery. We are very fortunate to have the Olympic Training Center as part of the upcoming World University Games venue layout.” 

Taking its winter sports theme to heart, the FISU Seminar took place at the Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex. The venue is home to numerous international ski events, including Winter Universiade 1972, the Goodwill Games, and two Winter Olympics.

Just one of many plenary sessions, the coming three years will see this FISU Seminar followed up with numerous meetings and inspection visits to ensure the success of the upcoming Lake Placid 2023 Games. The Lake Placid delegation will be in Lausanne, Switzerland in mid-February to report to the newly-elected FISU Executive Committee on their event progress. The FISU Winter Universiade International Technical Committee will travel to Lake Placid next March in 2020 for a sport-focused inspection visit.

“This intensive seminar week gave all of us the excellent opportunity to share our experiences,” Augustin said. “At FISU, we are constantly on the lookout for increasing efficiency and innovating with our events so that student-athletes can have their best experience possible during the winter games.

“Many of the event venues need updating; fortunately the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority has been receiving the requisite funding to this historic home of elite sports and community physical activity,” Augustin added. “With Lake Placid’s past hosting of the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980, as well as the World University Games in 1972, we are looking forward to continuing to write new chapters to the area’s sports history book.”