Goodwill Games

6/28/99

Winter Goodwill Games Announce Expanded Sports Schedule

The inaugural Winter Goodwill Games, scheduled for February 17-20, 2000, in Lake Placid, New York, have announced an expanded sports schedule for the first-ever winter edition of the international multi-sport event. With the recent addition of skeleton, cross country skiing and nordic combined to the program, as well as the distinction between alpine skiing and freestyle skiing, the Winter Goodwill Games increased the program to include 11 sports, instead of the originally announced seven.

"The Goodwill Games have a reputation of selecting sports that showcase the top teams and athletes in their respective sports," said Mike Plant, Goodwill Games president. "The program that we've established ensures the Goodwill Games will continue to highlight the best against the best, while expanding the scope of the Games into a winter sports franchise."

The 11 sports to be contested at the Winter Goodwill Games are: alpine skiing, bobsled, cross country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, nordic combined, short track speedskating, skeleton, ski jumping and snowboarding. As in traditional Goodwill Games, the Winter Goodwill Games invite the world's best athletes to compete in the Games' signature finals-only format. In addition to the pursuit of a gold medal, competitors will be vying for their share of a substantial prize and performance purse.

The 2000 Winter Goodwill Games will mark the third time in 72 years that skeleton has been on the schedule of an international, multi-sport event. Skeleton was a part of the program of the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympic Games. The sport is similar to luge, except that the athlete rides the sled face down, head first and approaches speeds of up to 80 mph.

"We are happy to pave the way for the return of skeleton to the schedule of an international, multi-sport event," said David Raith, Goodwill Games vice president of sports. "Skeleton is a very exciting sport and fans will love it."

The Goodwill Games have partnered with the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) to stage the Games in Lake Placid. ORDA was founded after the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. Turner Network Television (TNT), the Games host network, will televise 16 hours of exclusive coverage.

"Our partners at Turner Sports have worked very hard to bring the best that winter sports have to offer to Lake Placid next February," said Ted Blazer, ORDA President and CEO. "It is certainly fitting that athletes of this caliber will be able to compete on our brand new state-of-the-art bobsled/luge track, in addition to Lake Placid's other world-class facilities."

The Winter Goodwill Games are not the only event on the horizon for Goodwill Games organizers. The 2001 Goodwill Games are scheduled for 12 days in August/September, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The 2001 Goodwill Games will include 12 sports.

The Goodwill Games began in 1986 with the purpose of ensuring that the world's best athletes have the opportunity to compete in world class competition, something the Cold War boycotts of the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Summer Games prevented. Past Goodwill Games sites include Moscow, Soviet Union, 1986; Seattle, Wash., 1990; St. Petersburg, Russia, 1994; and New York, New York, 1998.

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