A two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul wandered onto the course during the women's team sprint free qualification at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Tesero, Italy, on February 18. The dog ran alongside skiers to the finish line, drawing cheers from spectators but surprise from athletes. Race officials quickly secured the animal and returned it unharmed to its owners.
On February 18, 2026, during the qualification round for the women's cross-country skiing team sprint free event at the Lago di Tesero course in Tesero, Italy, a local dog made an unexpected appearance. The two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog, identified as Nazgul, escaped from a nearby bed-and-breakfast where his owners—related to an event official—were staying. He sprinted down the homestretch, crossing the finish line captured by the official photo-finish camera, as broadcast footage showed.
Athletes reacted with a mix of confusion and amusement. Croatian skier Tena Hadzic, 21, encountered Nazgul near the end of her run and said, "I was like, 'Am I hallucinating?' I don't know what I should do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me." She noted it cost her some seconds but added, "It's not that big deal, because I'm not fighting for medals or anything big. But if that happened in the finals, it could really cost someone the medals, or a really good result."
Argentinian skier Nahiara Díaz González, 22, remained focused and did not notice the dog during her finish. She later commented, “He was super happy crossing the finish line. I was so focused on finishing the race (that) I didn’t look at the dog. It was just a fun experience. This is not normal. I don’t know what he was doing here. But the finish was not a problem. Luckily, it went well.”
Swedish skiers Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling, who went on to win gold in the final alongside each other, also weighed in. Dahlqvist said, “I was surprised as everyone else. That was something I had never seen ever before. Kind of crazy.” Sundling added, “It was so fun. I like dogs, we have a dog at home.” Swiss skier Nadja Kaelin expressed relief, saying she was glad to be cooling down and not skiing near the dog, as she is afraid of them.
Nazgul's owner, speaking anonymously to NPR amid media attention, explained, “He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us. He always looks for people.” Described as “stubborn, but very sweet,” the dog was wrangled by officials without incident. The interruption occurred during preliminaries, after top contenders had finished, so it had no significant impact on the race outcomes. In the final, Sweden took gold, Switzerland silver, and Germany bronze.
The moment quickly went viral on social media and television, lightening the mood at the Olympics.
