LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- Who’s going to make up the United States’ bobsled, luge and skeleton 2018 Olympic teams? It’s going to become a little bit clearer when United States Bobsled and Skeleton and USA Luge teams hold their national team selection races later this month, in Lake Placid, N.Y. The athletes who make their 2017-’18 World Cup squads will have the inside track to competing this February in PyeongChang, South Korea.

American athletes begin training for their upcoming team selection races when the famed Mt. Van Hoevenberg combined bobsled, luge and skeleton track opens for the sliding season tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 4, weather and conditions permitting, to the U.S. bobsled team from 9 a.m.-noon. The U.S. skeleton team begins training, the following Tuesday, Oct. 10, and U.S. luge junior national team athletes jump on the track for the first time this season, Tuesday, Oct. 16. They’re followed by the senior national team, Oct. 21.

The 2017-’18 sliding season is setting up to be a very busy one for the one-mile long course. USA Bobsled two-man and women’s team selection races begin, Sunday, Oct. 8, followed by the four-man and second round of the women’s bobsled race on Oct. 14. U.S. skeleton team selection races are slated for Oct. 17 and 18, USA Luge continues the process of putting together its World Cup squad Oct. 28 and 29.

The combined track will also host to three World Cup races, beginning with the IBSF World Cup bobsled and skeleton event, Nov. 9-10. This marks the 17^th consecutive year that Lake Placid has hosted either World Cup or World Championship bobsled and skeleton racing.

This event is followed by IBSF Para-World Cup bobsled racing, Nov. 27-Dec. 3. This sport is expected to make its Paralympic Olympic debut in 2022, in Beijing, China.

World Cup actions wraps up Dec. 15-16, when luge racing returns to the 20-curve track for a third consecutive winter. This also marks the 16^th time that Lake Placid has hosted a luge World Cup event.

Additional events this season include international bobsled and skeleton training, Nov. 2-4, adaptive athletes bobsled and skeleton sliding, Nov. 13-17, North American Cup bobsled and skeleton racing, Jan. 8-14, and the 38^th Empire State Winter Games bobsled, luge and skeleton racing, Feb. 3-4.

Visitors to the Lake Placid region can enjoy bobsled passenger rides this season.  With a professional driver and brakeman, rides begin at the half-mile point of the track and can reach speeds in excess of 60 miles-per-hour.

For more information about all of the events being held at ORDA’s Olympic venues, log on to www.whitefacelakeplacid.com.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Media interested in attending the first day’s training should contact the respective National Governing Body media representative to make arrangements. For those interested in attending USA Luge training, please contact Sandy Caligiore, Sandy@usaluge.org. For U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton, please contact Kristen Gowdy, kristen.gowdy@usabs.com.

Media requesting credentials for any of the upcoming World Cup events can download credential request forms by visiting http://www.whiteface.com/media. Please complete the forms and return them to Jon Lundin, ORDA communications, jlundin@orda.org.

IBSF World Cup Bobsled and Skeleton racing photos from previous seasons can be found HERE. Photos from previous FIL Luge World Cup racing can be found HERE. All photos courtesy of ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid.

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.