The USOC will use both the UEL Docklands and Stratford campuses at the university for training and support for its Olympic and Paralympic teams.

More than 1,000 athletes, coaches, scientists, medical practitioners and support staff will use UEL’s state-of-the-art facilities in the unique partnership.

Patrick McGhee, the Vice Chancellor of the UEL, said: "UEL are delighted to host some of the world’s greatest athletes.

"We are serious about sport and this is an inspiration to our own UEL athletes in their preparation for 2012. 

"The partnership is also an opportunity to build the legacy that will continue beyond 2012 and into the future to boost participation in sport."

USOC Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun said: "This is a great opportunity for our athletes and staff to use these excellent facilities at UEL and to enter into this partnership for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

"We are looking forward to the next few years of this relationship with such an outstanding university."

USA Track & Field have already signed a separate deal for their athletes to base themselves in Birmingham in the build-up to London 2012.

Other individual sports are also currently looking at setting-up training camps around Britain.

But the USOC will be utilising UEL facilities such as the halls of residence, as well as setting up onsite sports science, medicine and press/media centres as their sport performance and operational base.

They will also use the stunning new £18 million sports and academic centre at the Docklands campus.

Provisionally named the Sports Dock, this is due to open in late 2011.

The centre includes a gym and fitness suite, a large indoor sports arena, ten badminton courts, two competition basketball , volleyball and netball courts, cricket bays, two five a side football pitches, a sports café  and covered seating for 400 people.

Members of UEL staff, including Nirmal Borkhataria, the Executive lead, and Paul Ford, the Director of Olympic and Paralympic Partnership Operations at UEL, flew to Colorado Springs to sign the official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to officially secure the partnership.

Ford said: "It is a privilege that the USOC have selected us for their 2012 US Olympic training site, and this can be attributed to the hard work many UEL staff members have put in since the 2008 Beijing Games."

David Cosford, Director of Sport at UEL said: "We are delighted to take this fantastic step forward, which further shows how committed we are towards the 2012 Games.

"We are proud of our state of the art facilities at both campuses as they highlight the recent investments we have made.

"The agreement goes to prove just how exceptional they are."