By now this is somewhat old news, but it’s too cool to not write about.

With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver just a few short months away, the U.S. Speed Skating Team was hit with a major setback after their main sponsor, bankrupt Dutch bank DSB Bank NV, was unable to fund them further.

This left the team with a $300,000 shortfall. Enter Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Nation.

On Monday night, Dan Jansen and U.S. Speedskating executive director Robert Crowley appeared on The Colbert Report, with the host inking a deal to sponsor the team. Fans can head to Colbert Nation to make a contribution.

This is going to be a great deal for everyone. For the cost of airtime, the Colbert Report will get advertising spots on athletes with the best chances of earning medals, plus they’ll likely have the story of their sponsorship covered all over the world. Fans will be able to feel like they’re a part of the team, and the team itself will get some much-needed cash at the 11th hour.

The biggest winner of all will of course be Stephen Colbert’s ego. If any speed skater so much as sniffs gold in Vancouver, you can bet that he will find his way up on to the podium.

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