New York State is embarking on an ambitious plan to bid for the Winter Olympics, with Lake Placid and New York City proposed as co-hosts. This initiative was announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, who revealed the formation of an exploratory committee on Monday to evaluate the feasibility of this joint hosting arrangement.

The dual-hosting concept draws inspiration from the successful model employed by Milan and Cortina for the current Olympic Games. Although no specific year has been pinpointed for New York's potential hosting, the earliest realistic opportunity would be 2042, following the upcoming events in Salt Lake City (2034) and Switzerland (2038).

Governor Hochul expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "The time is now to return the Olympic flame back to New York."

Lake Placid has a storied Olympic history, having hosted the Games twice in 1932 and 1980, the latter being famous for the remarkable "Miracle on Ice." Additionally, Lake Placid served as an emergency backup location for sliding sports during the recent Games.

A recent climate change study has identified Lake Placid as one of the few former Olympic hosts likely to maintain reliable weather conditions for the Games by 2050.

The exploratory committee, chaired by Ashley Walden, the President and CEO of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, is expected to take about a year to complete its assessment. However, it's important to note that this announcement does not signify an official bid, as the 2030 Olympics are already scheduled for the French Alps.