The 3,500-square foot office, located at 521 Fifth Avenue, was chosen because of its proximity to the USOC media partner NBC and will be home to seven full-time employees.

Lisa Baird, the chief marketing officer of the USOC, whose headquarters are in Colorado Springs, said: "New York real estate is challenging even in this [financial] environment.

"We really wanted to find the right place with the right length of term and something really turnkey and ready for us to move into."

The future of the new office could depend on which city the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chooses to host the 2016 Games.

Barid said: "It depends on what happens when we get Chicago, if that’s not too bold, and how we’re evolving as the USOC.

"We want to be flexible, and right now we want to take the right steps to be [in New York] and have a beachhead there."

The USOC have sub-let some of the space to Indianapolis-based United States Track & Field, who will base three or four employees there.


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