Is that a hu-ski?! Runaway dog risks causing ‘disaster’ at Winter Olympics after interrupting women’s team cross country race

The Winter Olympics have already delivered its customary mix of breathtaking victories and heartbreaking near-misses as the world’s best athletes compete for gold in Italy, but on Wednesday morning an unexpected four-legged intruder added a new dose of fun and intrigue to the tournament.

The spectacle occurred during the women’s team cross country qualifiers in Tesero when a wolf-like dog appeared on the track and began chasing some competitors during the competition.

In the footage, the lively beagle is seen chasing the camera while appearing excited.

He then caught the eye of two passing skiers, causing him to chase after the couple from Croatia and Greece as they crossed the finish line, much to the amusement of those watching from the sidelines.

After the race, several athletes reacted to the charismatic dog’s presence on the course, with first-place Swede Jonna Sundling saying he was “so cute” as she crossed the press area.

Her rival, Norwegian Astrid Oyre Slind, who finished the competition in fifth place, jokingly added: ‘The dog is my least problem, and a Swede is my biggest problem.’

The dog interrupted the race; one commentator called it a potential ‘disaster’

An athlete had close contact with a dog on the tracks in Italy

While others were more alarmed by the sudden appearance of the dog, Croatian Tena Hadzic said she was afraid the dog would bite her.

Hadzic said: ‘At first I thought it was a wolf and that I was hallucinating from the tough race. It was extremely large and I was afraid it would bite me as I passed by.

‘It’s not even a good thing that he’s on the track. For me, it’s not a big deal since I’m not competing for medals. But it could have been dangerous if something like this had happened in the final where medals were at stake.’

Last-place Greek contestant Konstantina Charalampido shared a more optimistic perspective, saying: ‘Luckily he behaved very well. He followed the camera down the finishing straight, was cute and thankfully didn’t spoil the race.

‘It was funny. It made me forget about the race because it wasn’t good. ‘I’m famous now because of him, so I have to thank him.’

Meanwhile, cross-country ski expert Fredrik Aukland said the dog’s intervention ‘could have been disastrous’.

The owner of the 2-year-old dog, who appeared after the race, claimed that his name was ‘Nazgül’ and that he had run away from home.

‘He suddenly disappeared and ran away from home. He is a very gentle dog. Very stubborn, very sweet and very social. Always tries to communicate with people. “It doesn’t harm people,” he told the Norwegian outlet. V.G..

A wolf-like dog appeared on the track and started chasing some competitors.

The name Nazgul is taken from the ringwraiths in The Lord of the Rings. Nazgul is a Czech wolfhound.

Dogs have been a common fixture at this year’s Winter Olympics; One of them can be seen sitting on the sidelines watching figure skating wearing a Team USA jersey.

Earlier in the week, video went viral showing a playful greyhound disrupting a downhill ski race, gliding across the ice while escaping from his captor.

Spectators in the crowd and some athletes were photographed showing a wide smile as the dog ran a large portion of the course on his own.

Perhaps Snoop Dogg’s presence at this year’s event sparked extra excitement among local canines.