Dog crashes women’s Olympic team sprint race, crosses finish line in wild scene
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It wasn’t just humans, but also a dog, who finished the Olympic women’s sprint cross country race in Tesero on Wednesday.
As the last few athletes completed their races, a dog wandered the course and ran with them towards the finish line, much to the delight of the crowd. The dog first noticed the scene as he entered the course, and only when he noticed the racers did he take off towards the finish line.
It was stated that the dog’s name was Nazgül and its owner was related to an event official. to NPR. Nazgul is a 2-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfhound.
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A dog roams the ski track during the women’s team cross-country freestyle sprint qualifying event of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Lago di Tesero in Val di Fiemme, Italy. February 18, 2026. (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images)
“He was crying more than usual this morning because he saw us leaving and I think he just wanted to follow us,” the anonymous property owner told NPR. “He’s always looking for people.”
The surprise appearance of the Nazgul did not have a significant impact on the race because the top medal contenders had already crossed the finish line. Timekeepers even took a photo of the dog crossing the finish line.
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In this image from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), a dog is seen running down the track near the finish line during the women’s cross-country ski team’s free run at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Tesero, Italy. February 18, 2026. (Olympic Broadcast Services via AP)
Although Nazgul’s appearance on the track did not have a major impact on the race, it did affect the mental state of the racers.
“‘Am I hallucinating?'” Croatian skier Tena Hadzic said, according to NPR. I thought.” he said. “I don’t know what to do because maybe he might attack me, bite me.”
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A dog roams the ski track during the women’s team cross-country freestyle sprint qualifying event for the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Lago di Tesero in Val di Fiemme, Italy. February 18, 2026. (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images)
Hadzic said he probably lost a few seconds because he was so surprised, but since he wasn’t in contention for a medal it didn’t matter that much.
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