The third member of the NMN will provide care for top US athletes, specialising in orthopedic medicine, physical medicine, primary care, dentistry psychiatry, ophthalmology and neurosurgery.

The partnership will also include collaborative research and educational opportunities for athletes at the University of Utah.

The NMN provides medical care to America’s elite athletes through partnerships with top-tier medical providers with proven expertise in sports medicine.

In order to qualify, providers who are invited to join must have a strong history within multi-disciplinary care, sporting event coverage, offer screening, prevention and performance services, and participation in research and education.

"University of Utah Health Care is an exceptional addition to the United States Olympic Committee's National Medical Network," said Dr Bill Moreau, USOC managing director of sports medicine.

"UUHC was invited by the USOC to be a national-level partner because of their long-standing history of high quality of medical care, leadership in sports medicine, research initiatives - and a location that allows them to support key winter sports.

"This partnership represents a great opportunity to create further synergy in regards to cutting edge advancements in sports medicine with an eye on high performance outcomes."

Additionally, in partnership with UUHC, the USOC opened a high performance centre inside the Utah Olympic Oval - an indoor speed skating oval built for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

The centre will provide support for athletes training at the facility, while exploring various research topics.

"Our excellence in sports medicine and fitness combined with our research expertise make this the right time, the right place and the right partnership," said Vivian Lee, chief executive of UUHC and senior vice-president for health sciences.

"We are also pleased to partner with the USOC in providing educational opportunities for Team USA athletes, so that once their athletic journey comes to an end, they are able to achieve success in the next phase of their lives."

NMN destinations are designated by the USOC as either national or regional based on the scope of available services.

The other two national centres are the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and Steadman Philippon Research Institute and Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

UUHC’s infectious-disease team, led by Carrie Byington, has begun a pilot study to address Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to an increase in microcephaly among newborn babies.

Byington, the chairwoman of the USOC's infectious-disease advisory group, has been monitoring around 100 athletes who are training in Brazil ahead of this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

She and her team are developing a diagnostic tool aimed at helping medical personnel and the US Olympic team evaluate who is at risk of contracting Zika and to develop treatment strategies.