With over 2,000 senior athletes anticipated to participate, the 2002 Winter National Senior Games will be on par with the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan and the upcoming 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 2000, male and female senior athletes ranging in ages from 50 to 99 and beyond competed in alpine skiing (slalom, giant slalom), cross country skiing (classic, free technique, 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K, 30K), curling, ice hockey (men's teams) and snowshoeing (100M, 200M, 1K, 5K). In 2002, speed skating and figure skating (singles, dance) will be added to the lineup.

This is the second consecutive Winter National Senior Games held in Lake Placid. In February 2000, Lake Placid, which hosted the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, welcomed senior athletes from 21 states.

"We are very excited to once again bring the Winter National Senior Games and our dedicated senior athletes to Lake Placid," said David F. Hull, Jr., NSGA President and CEO. "Our inaugural event in 2000 was a tremendous success. We will capitalize on that success in an effort to build momentum and athlete participation as we head into 2002. We are devoted to promoting healthy lifestyles for seniors through education, fitness and sports. Lake Placid will once again be a perfect venue to help advance our mission and movement."

The Winter National Senior Games will be held at former Winter Olympic venues in the Lake Placid region. Alpine skiing will take place at Whiteface Mountain, while cross country skiing and snowshoeing will be held at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cross Country Ski Center. Curling, figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating will take place on three of the four ice rinks at the massive Olympic Center.

"The state of New York and the Olympic authority are very excited to partner with the National Senior Games Association for this return engagement," said New York Governor George E. Pataki. "Lake Placid is about the Olympic legacy. Its place in the world includes athletes in training and competition in all age groups. The NSGA should be commended for its mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle, and we're happy they've chosen Lake Placid to carry that message to the world."

The NSGA (www.nationalseniorgames.org ) has successfully held summer games every two years for the past 12 years. The 1999 Summer National Senior Games attracted close to 12,000 athletes, making the Games the largest multi-sport event in the world in 1999. The NSGA is dedicated to building the Winter National Senior Games and branding it as an event that will be comparable to the Summer National Senior Games in terms of quality, size and scope.

The 2002 Winter National Senior Games - The Senior Olympics will be produced by the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), a not-for-profit organization established to attract and coordinate events in the Lake Placid Olympic venues. ORDA was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectators, and visitors from around the globe to the Adirondack region.

"It is important that we promote and encourage the ideals of the NSGA," said Charles A. Gargano, chairman of ORDA and the Empire State Development. "After the success of the 2000 event, we know that ORDA and the NSGA will raise this competition to new heights. These athletes are to be admired for their training and dedication. When they leave we want to make sure that they all carry the message that Lake Placid is a place where the dreams of all athletes become reality."

The Winter National Senior Games:

The Winter National Senior Games are held during even-numbered years and are open to men and women 50 years of age and older. Men and women in individual sports compete in groups of 5-year increments. Team sports for both men and women compete in the 50+, 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+ and 75+ age groups. Unlike the Summer National Senior Games, qualifying at the state level is not necessary to compete in the Winter National Senior Games at this time. In order to participate in the 2002 event, athletes must be 50 years old on or before January 4, 2002. For more information, call the athlete hotline at 225.929.7670, email the NSGA at nsga@nsga.com, visit www.nationalseniorgames.org or mail inquiries to NSGA - 3032 Old Forge Drive - Baton Rouge, LA 70808.

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