An uninvited guest stole the show on Wednesday during qualifying for the women’s cross-country team sprint at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
A large dog ran on the track while the heat was on, running with the athletes as they crossed the finish line.
This incident did not interfere with the competition and the spectators cheered the dog. It later wandered towards the finish area, approaching the skiers as they completed their runs.
Dog on the Olympic skiing course. 🚨
Late entry closes firmly at the cross country finish line! pic.twitter.com/o4mO28tXXW
– NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) 18 February 2026
According to multiple reports, the dog was later identified as a Czechoslovakian wolfdog.
The dog, named “Nazghul” in reference to the “Lord of the Rings” films, was taken for a walk by his owner, who lives locally, before running off to the race course.
“I became famous because of a dog that reached the finish line and now everyone wants to interview me,” said Konstantina Charalampidou of Greece.
“He was chasing the camera up and down the finish line. He was cute but not aggressive. I wanted to pet him, but I didn’t have time and I couldn’t find him until later.”
Venue officials initially thought the incident resulted from a violation of the venue’s strict no-pet policy for spectators.
Croatian skier Tena Hadzic told NPR she was surprised by her encounter with the dog.
“I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?'” Hadzik said. “I don’t know what to do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me.”
However, the dog’s owner told NPR that Nazghul is a “stubborn, but very sweet” animal.
“This morning he was crying more than usual because he was watching us leave — and I think he just wanted to follow us,” the owner told NPR. “He’s always looking out for people.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
