LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid has been selected to host the 2022 U.S. Biathlon National Championships. The championships will take place at the revamped facility from March 23-27, 2022, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and U.S. Biathlon announced on June 7. The U.S. Biathlon National Championships were last held […]
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid has been selected to host the 2022 U.S. Biathlon National Championships.
The championships will take place at the revamped facility from March 23-27, 2022, the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and U.S. Biathlon announced on June 7.
The U.S. Biathlon National Championships were last held in Lake Placid in 1996. The national championships will bring together the best junior and senior biathlon athletes in the United States, with more than 100 competitors expected, according to an ORDA news release.
Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s upgrades include a new biathlon stadium featuring a 30-point shooting range with Kuruvinen targets, a high-efficiency snowmaking system with reservoir, an additional 5 kilometers of competition trails certified to international standards, the recently constructed three-story Mountain Pass Lodge, and a competition layout with enhanced spectator viewing and access.
“U.S. Biathlon is thrilled with the new world-class venue at Mt. Van Hoevenberg,” Max Cobb, U.S. Biathlon, CEO & president, said in the release. “We are very excited to award the 2022 National Championships and bring our biathlon community together in Lake Placid. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on Mt. Van Hoevenberg’s impressive modernizations.”
Several local athletes are expected to be participating in the championship event. “I am so excited that Lake Placid will be hosting the 2022 U.S. Biathlon National Championships — it’s a game changer,” said Maddie Phaneuf, a 2018 Winter Olympics biathlete for the U.S. and an ORDA ambassador. “Being able to have Olympians skiing our venue alongside our local kids is an amazing and unique opportunity.”
The U.S. Biathlon National Championships will be hosted by ORDA, the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF), and the Adirondack Sports Council, which is the local organizing committee of the World University Winter Games. The Winter Games, which include competitions among 12 winter sports including biathlon, are estimated to be twice the size of the 1980 Winter Olympics. They will be held in the Lake Placid region in January 2023.
