Local dog’s unexpected bid for medal after running away from home
The two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfhound cleared security and the women’s cross-country ski team finished 20th in the sprint heats. Team Australia finished 18th.Credit: access point
Nazgul’s unexpected Olympic bid delighted observers, but not every athlete was happy with it.Credit: access point
Croatia’s Tena Hadzic initially mistook the Nazgul for a wolf and feared it might bite her, but its owners say it is friendly and harmless.Credit: access point
“‘What’s a dog doing here?'” Gonzalez said. “I thought,” he said.
Reactions to his appearance were mixed. Sweden’s gold medalist Jonna Sundling thought the Nazgul was “cute” and her miniature was “a lot of fun”.
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“I love dogs,” said Sundling, who won in the final with teammate Maja Dahlqvist. “When I got to the finish line I said, ‘Okay, we have a new member.'”
Norwegian Astrid Oyre Slind, who ranked fifth, did not have any problems with the Nazgul. He said: “A dog is my least problem, a Swede is my biggest problem.”
However, Croatia’s Tena Hadzic was the athlete chased by the sprinting Nazgul during the qualifiers and had a different view.
“At first I thought it was a wolf and that I was hallucinating because of the tough breed,” Hadzic said.
“It was quite big and I was afraid it might bite me as I ran past it. It’s not a big deal as I’m not competing for medals. But if this had happened in the final where medals were at stake, it could have been dangerous.”
Nazgul crossed the line, human or canine, in 20th place, finishing just ahead of Team Ukraine, triggering Omega’s official finish line camera in the process. Australians Rosie Fordham and Phoebe Cridland finished 18th in the heats.
with AP
Winter Olympic Games are broadcast on TV 9Network, 9Now And Stan Sports.
