Most U.S. Olympians struggle to find funding

In return for public appearances, the rights to her image, and a prominent spot on the Web site they designed for her, Penske now supports Baver in a variety of ways, including upgrading her to first-class on flights around the world.

"Usually, U.S. Speedskating would fly us coach," Baver said. "There would be four-hour layovers and all sorts of strange connections. We'd get off a plane in Korea or China and have to go skate. Now when I get there I feel way better than a lot of my competitors. I had extra leg room after I broke my leg. Things like that can make a difference."

Because of budget cuts, deals that don't expire until after the 2010 Games, and a careful redistribution of its athlete funding, the U.S. team likely won't feel a big effect from the economy. It's the future that worries American sports officials.

"The concern is not that we're eliminating the athletes that are going to Vancouver as medal hopefuls but that we're eliminating the athletes that are going to Sochi [Russia, for the 2014 Winter Olympics] as medal hopefuls," Darrin Steele, the CEO of U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton, told USA Today.

An indication of the seriousness of declining sponsorship revenue came late last month, when the normally circumspect USOC lashed out at what it calls "ambush marketers," companies that cite the Olympics or Olympians in ads without having paid for that right.

Not long after Subway began airing commercials in which Olympian Michael Phelps is seen swimming his way to Vancouver, the USOC and IOC issued an unusually blunt statement that mentioned no specific company.

"Companies which try to create the false impression that they are an official partner of the Olympic Games, or create a false association with the Olympic Games, are cheating Olympic athletes," said Gerhard Heiberg, an IOC executive board member.

"It is important that the public is made aware of these organizations and how they are depriving the Olympic Games and sport development around the world of essential support."

Subway, meanwhile, returned the fire.

"Subway has a successful history of partnering with elite athletes," Tony Pace, chief marketing officer, said in a statement of the company's own. "Regarding our latest commercial featuring Michael Phelps, Subway does not share the USOC's perspective and the conclusions being drawn from it."