Lake Placid prepares for Games with virtual technical committee meeting

LAKE PLACID, USA — With current COVID-19 social distancing and travel restrictions in place, the FISU Winter Games department and the Lake Placid 2023 organising committee held their first International Technical Committee meeting virtually late last month. Playing the leading role in the meeting were the FISU Technical Committee Chairs responsible for each sport included in the 31st FISU World University Games Winter event programme. Set to run from 12-22 January 2023, this will be the second time that the quaint village in northern New York village hosts these Games.

Lake Placid organisers kicked off the video conference call by presenting an overview of the history and legacy of the sport in Lake Placid, which includes also holding the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games and numerous world championships and world cups, before moving on to the Games-time sports planning having taken place thus far.

The FISU Winter Games presentation included the organisation’s history, new event naming conventions, and the goals of the upcoming individual sport ITC meetings. The most important takeaway from this session was the opportunity for first introductions between the Lake Placid 2023 Sport Managers and the FISU Technical Committee Chairs representing the twelve sports included at this FISU World University Games.

“The technical committee meetings were extremely successful, despite the unique and unusual circumstances,” said FISU Executive Committee Member Delise S. O’Meally. “Overcoming multiple time-zone differences, the technical delegates and the Lake Placid 2023 Organising Committee came together in the virtual format and had very meaningful and engaging discussions.”

Added  O’Meally, who is also the Coordinator-Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games Winter: “This global crisis, that we have collectively survived, reminds us how important sport is to our society. As we continue to make significant progress in the planning and implementation phase of the 2023 Games, we look forward to the time that we can once again gather in-person to celebrate sport.”

The late FISU President Primo Nebiolo during the first Universiade on North American soil. 51 years after its first Winter Universiade, the village of Lake Placid will host its second event edition in 2023

Considering the success of this event and the lockstep coordination of the local organisers and FISU Winter Games department,  this is just one of many in a series of virtual style meetings that will take place in the upcoming months, as expressed by Lake Placid 2023’s Kelly Sweeney-Foley.

“We look toward the future when we can once again come together face to face to ensure the successful planning and execution of the upcoming WUG2023 that will showcase the Adirondack Region.”