February 5, 2026: Norman Miller: Espionage And Olympic Sports

Norman L. Miller was the U.S. Olympic Bobsled coach at the 1987 Olympic Trials in Winterberg, West Germany and at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, in 1988. Two teams he coached during the 1987 World Cup circuit earned gold medals. He has first-hand experience on racing bobsleds as an athlete, competing in two Olympic trials. He is retired from the U.S. Air Force with 33 years’ experience.

While in the position as an Olympic bobsled coach he was recruited to do undercover missions for the CIA to secure Soviet Union secret documents being tested on bobsled runners to reduce friction on water and ice. Miller became the center of an international incident at a press conference, when Latvia announced they were no longer seeking permission from Russia to conduct their official business. This was the first official announcement of the Soviet Union breakup. 

During his Olympic coaching career, he used his writing skills to produce hundreds of cable TV shows and produced a 30-minute video, titled “Against The Edge” that aired on NBC to promote the need for Olympic sponsors.