A surprising moment occurred at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics when a dog wandered onto the cross-country skiing course during the women’s race, catching everyone’s attention.
A dog ran with the athletes during a team sprint and briefly became the center of attention when it crossed the finish line before being led off the track.
VG, a Norwegian news website, reports that a two-year-old Czech wolfhound named Nazgul ran away from home and ended up on the Olympic course.
Dog becomes Olympic star after joining race
Croatian skier Tena Hadzic admitted she was briefly frightened when a dog ran onto the course. She explained she wasn’t sure how the dog would react – if it would be startled by something like a stick and potentially bite her – and felt unprepared for the situation.
Argentine competitor Nahiara Diaz Gonzalez laughed about all the attention the dog was getting, saying it had become famous. She described the moment she spotted it while descending, explaining she cautiously watched to see where it would go, hoping to avoid a collision. Thankfully, everything worked out and she managed to avoid hitting it.
After the race, Nazgul’s owner explained how the talented dog unexpectedly became an Olympic competitor.
i hope he wins
— mathilda (@thildakm) February 18, 2026
According to his owner, the dog simply ran away from home. He’s described as a friendly, though somewhat stubborn and sweet-natured, animal who loves people and is not aggressive.
Video of the race spread rapidly online, and even the official Olympic Games account on X (formerly Twitter) shared it, adding to the excitement.
We’ve got some unexpected competition at the cross-country skiing event – our new dog is giving the athletes a run for their money! It’s really hard not to want to award all the medals to our furry friend.
It’s not unusual for animals to show up at big sporting events – once, a beekeeper had to deal with a swarm of bees during a baseball game.
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2026-02-18 16:19