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All competitions, other than biathlon, to be held during annual event

lake placid, adirondacks, usa – As the Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) torch run makes its way through the Adirondacks Wednesday and Thursday, ESWG organizers have announced a field of 967 competitors will converge on the region for the event.

The giant slalom in alpine skiing, to be held on Draper's Drop at Whiteface Mountain, as well as figure skating in the Olympic Center, both on Thursday, will precede the Opening Ceremony at 6 PM in the Olympic Center's 1980 Herb Brooks Arena.

The ESWG event schedule will be full Friday through Sunday.

The number of athletes surpasses last year's total of 909 despite the loss of 14 biathletes who will not compete after organizers canceled the event. A thin, icy base on the biathlon trails at Mount Van Hoevenberg eroded further overnight when rain, accompanied by warm and windy conditions forced the hand of organizers.

The venue was to host Nordic racing as well as adaptive cross country and adaptive biathlon. Those events have moved to the Olympic Jumping Complex where a course has been created from mostly man-made snow.

Also, snow shoeing was re-located to the Paul Smith's College soccer field and / or the trails at the Visitor Interpretive Center. These competitions were originally slated for the Petrova Middle School and Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake. The latter venue will host boy's and girl's slalom races, and will resume snowmaking when temperatures permit.

Athlete arrivals began Wednesday, with processing taking place at the Lake Placid Convention and Visitors Bureau in the new conference center.

For complete ESWG information as well as results, please log on to www.empirestatewintergames.com

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