Olympic hopefuls to compete at modernized Olympic facilities for a spot on Team USA at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games
Lake Placid, N.Y. – The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced today that the U.S. Olympic Trials for the sports of ski jumping and Nordic combined will take place at the Olympic Jumping Complex and Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid on Dec. 24 and 25. Lake Placid was home to competition during the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, and it will now be a pivotal place for Beijing 2022 hopefuls.
The event will showcase the top men and women ski jumpers and Nordic combined skiers in the country competing for placement on the U.S. Olympic team. While as many as five men and women in each discipline will earn selection on Team USA, only the winner in each discipline is guaranteed a spot at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games. Full teams will be announced in late January.
“The USOPC is thrilled to partner with ORDA to host the Olympic Trials for ski jumping and Nordic combined in Lake Placid,” said USOPC Vice President of Winter Sport, Kelly Skinner. “With the amazing revitalization of Lake Placid’s iconic ski Jumps, and new, state-of-the-art Nordic facilities at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, New York State and ORDA are providing world-class venues to U.S. Athletes for years to come.”
The event will feature top athletes representing USA Nordic Sport, including: three-time Nordic Combined Olympian Taylor Fletcher, who will be looking to make his fourth Olympic team; Nina Lussi, Lake Placid native, attempting to earn her first Olympic appearance, and ski jumper Andrew Urlaub coming off a fifth-place finish at the FIS Summer Grand Prix.
“I am thrilled to have the Olympic Trials back in Lake Placid, the place where I learned Nordic Combined,” said CEO of USA Nordic Sport and Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Demong. “The youth and depth of the athletes preparing for their chance to make it to Beijing remind me of my teammates — this will certainly be a Christmas holiday the competitors and fans will never forget.”
ORDA has modernized the Olympic Jumping Complex, installing frost rails on the inruns, re-contouring both outruns and adding summer surfaces for year-round training capabilities, upgrading the snowmaking system, and installing a new ADA-compliant gondola and glass elevator. In addition, the Sky Flyer Zipline and the Intervals Lodge complete the guest experience.
ORDA also completed upgrades at Mt. Van Hoevenberg including 5,000 meters of new world-class trails, an energy-efficient snowmaking system, and a 30-point biathlon range. The new trail systems are adjacent to the new Mountain Pass Lodge, a 50,000 square foot facility with integrated competition services, elite training facilities, and new recreational opportunities for visitors.
“The recent improvements at the Lake Placid venues have made hosting important events like the U.S. Olympic Trials possible,” said ORDA Board Chair, Kelly Cummings. “It is an incredible honor for ORDA to welcome the finest Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes in the United States as they aim to achieve their Olympic goals.”
“We are excited to welcome the Olympic Trials,” said ORDA President & CEO, Mike Pratt. “The Ski Jumps in Lake Placid are now the only location in North America homologated for year-round jumping. The accomplishments made at the ORDA venues have positioned us to host more prestigious events, a higher quality of training, and excellent athlete and guest experiences.”
The Olympic trials will take place at two of ORDA’s Olympic Venues, the Olympic Jumping Complex (Dec. 24 and 25) and Mt. Van Hoevenberg (Dec. 24). Details regarding NBC Sports’ coverage of the trials will be announced soon.
For information on ticketing and event details: https://lakeplacidolympicsites.com/event/us-olympic-team-trials/
About USA Nordic
USA Nordic is the national leadership organization for Nordic combined and ski jumping in the United States, providing support and guidance to the nations’ clubs and coaches while overseeing the national elite teams. More information can be found at usanordic.org or its social media channels @usanordic.
About Team USA
Team USA is the world’s largest and most diverse team of athletes from across the United States who compete at the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, founded in 1894, serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and is responsible for protecting, supporting and empowering Team USA athletes. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.
About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2021, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers, and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success, and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org.
Contact: Tom Horrocks, U.S. Ski and Snowboard, tom.horrocks@usskiandsnowboard.org.
