The company, one of the leading consumer law firms in the country, will support the Australian team's build-up to Rio 2016, Pyeongchang 2018 and Tokyo 2020.

The announcement was made to coincide with the landmark 500 days to go until next year's Olympic Games are due to begin in Rio de Janeiro.

Slater and Gordon will help the AOC with regards to legal sporting issues, as well as providing financial assistance, during the five-year contract, and they will also support the Australian Youth Olympic team at Lillehammer 2016 and Buenos Aires 2018. 

"We are very excited to welcome Slater and Gordon as the latest partner and a valued member of the Australian Olympic team," Australia's Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said.

"The Australian Olympic Committee is committed to the fight against doping in sport and has been at the forefront of protecting the integrity of sport for many years and we are very happy to be working with Slater and Gordon to assist our athletes and officials as part of this process."

Every athlete who competes for Australia at Rio 2016 will have to sign the Olympic Team Membership Agreement, in order to ensure all competitors represent the nation within the rules set out by the AOC.

Australian Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller welcomed the announcement at a press conference to mark 500 days to go until the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro ©Getty Images



"As a company, we believe in a fair go for everyone and fair play - values that sit at the heart of the Olympic movement," Slater and Gordon senior executive Hayden Stephens said.

"We will be providing support to both athletes and officials to help them better understand the legal aspects of the Olympic Team Membership Agreements.

"The Olympic Team Membership Agreements are an important initiative that upholds the values of fair play and includes a signed statutory declaration that a member of the Team has never participated in doping."

Preparations for the first Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in South America have been tainted by worries surrounding construction of some of the venues, but AOC secretary general Fiona de Jong insisted she was impressed by how things are shaping up.

"Much progress has been made with the venue readiness, particularly in the Deodoro zone," she added.

"By all accounts, I'm confident it will be a vibrant, playful environment for our 2016 Olympians to call home during their Olympic Games.

"There's no doubt the excitement is beginning to mount in the city and they will welcome the world to the Games in their own Brazilian way and are looking to inject the local culture on these Games."

Australia's team in Rio is expected to contain 470 athletes spread across 40 disciplines.

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