LAKE PLACID — An official International University Sports Federation (FISU) flag-raising ceremony is scheduled at Mid’s Park on Main Street at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday

State and local officials, including Lake Placid Mayor Art Devlin, will join Lake Placid 2023 Organizing Committee members to raise the official FISU flag, which serves to formally designate Lake Placid and the North Country region as the next host for the 2023 Winter World University Games. The 11-day international competition is scheduled for Jan. 12-22, 2023.

FISU formally announced Lake Placid and the state’s North Country region as the host of the 31st FISU Winter World University Games in March 2018. Other than in 1972, when Lake Placid staged the seventh edition, the winter edition of the games have only been held in Europe or Asia.

The World University Games is the largest international winter multi-sport event for collegiate athletes ages 17-25. Organizers are expecting around 1,600 collegiate athletes from 50 nations and 600 universities to compete in 12 sports and 86 events in January, with an equal number of women’s and men’s medals.