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The small village of Lake Placid is world-famous as the host of the Winter Olympic Games in 1932 and 1980, but its place in the sporting world goes beyond that. Lake Placid attracts world-class athletes for the current world championship events. As well, Olympic athletes currently use Lake Placid as a training facility for many Olympic sports.
Lake Placid is also the home of U.S. sports governing bodies such as the U.S. Luge Association, U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, as well as the U.S. Canoe and Kayak teams.
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Olympian speeding on a luge at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Ice hockey at the 1932 Winter Olympics.
Godfrey Dewey helped Lake Placid become the site of the 1932 Olympics.
Bobsled event at the 1932 Winter Olympics.
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History of the Olympics
The 1932 Olympics: Building the Community
In 1932, the world focused on a small village in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. The world was in the midst of the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt was Governor of the State of New York. Lake Placid, with a population of 2,930, was host of the III Olympic Winter Games. In 1929, Godfrey Dewey, winter sports enthusiast and son of Dr. Melvil Dewey, founder of the Dewey Decimal System, successfully presented the village's bid for the 1932 Games to the International Olympic Committee.
"Olympic is not a magic phrase for effortless prosperity," Godfrey warned. "It is rather the key to a unique opportunity to achieve by our own united community efforts."
And thus the village of Lake Placid united! In addition to improvement of the existing ski jumps and the expansion of cross-country ski trails, the Olympic stadium (speed-skating oval), arena and bobrun were constructed at a cost of over $650,000.
Greatly affected by the depression, only 17 nations and 348 athletes attended the games. Since President Hoover declined the invitation, the III Winter Olympiad was officially opened by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt.
 
The 1980 Winter Olympics:
"Welcome World, We're Ready!"
With a population of 2,731 (200 less than in 1932), and faced with even more obstacles than in 1932, the village of Lake Placid, New York, hosted the XIII Olympic Winter Games. While many feared the village was too small to host an event of such magnitude, the townspeople worried about debt. Others wondered where all the visitors would stay. The Local Organizing Committee worked long and hard to be ready to welcome the world.
Over $51 million in construction was needed to prepare for the Games. Improvements and additions were made at existing sites. The arena complex was expanded to include two new arenas and ice surfaces. An entire snowmaking system was installed at Whiteface Mountain. The old ski jump was torn down and replaced with the new 70- and 90-meter towers (now 90 and 120 meters).
An Olympic Village was constructed for the athletes. It was funded by the federal government with the stipulation that after the Games, the site would become a federal prison. It is located in Ray Brook, halfway between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, and is now a medium-security facility.
During the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, history was made time and again. American speed skater Eric Heiden skated to a record five gold medals, earned in a total time of less than thirty minutes. This achievement makes him the only Winter Olympian to win five individual gold medals at the same Games.
USA versus Russia: "Do You Believe in Miracles?"
The USA Ice Hockey Team mesmerized the world in what many consider the greatest Olympic victory ever. Sports Illustrated Magazine named "The Miracle on Ice" The Greatest Sports Moment of the Century.
The USA's stunning 4-3 win over the Soviet Union was not only a great moment in sports, but has been viewed by some as a turning point in the Cold War. The upset victory was an important step on the way to the gold medal in hockey for the United States, which was actually earned with the 4-2 victory over Finland.
Source credit: Information courtesy of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Center Museum.
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Visiting the Olympics Sites
You can experience the Olympics yourself through visits to several sites in the Lake Placid area, many of which were venues for the competition. Click here for a listing and description of the Olympic Sites.
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