A surprising competitor is taking part in the women’s cross-country skiing competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
As skiers reached the end of the race on Wednesday, February 18, a dog found the line and crossed the finish line. “Rush to the finish line and the crowd is clearly enjoying it,” one commentator quipped in a clip from the race shared on NBC Olympics’ social media pages. Another commentator joked: “The biggest cheer of the day so far wasn’t for any of the skiers.”
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on Wednesday’s show todayPeter Alexander clarified that the animal was a Czechoslovakian wolfdog and belonged to the local indigenous people.
In a statement to Today.com, Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 said they were “aware that, shortly before the athletes crossed the finish line during the cross-country skiing women’s team free sprint qualifying event at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium, a domestic wolfdog briefly entered the lane behind the athletes.”
“The incident did not interrupt or interfere with play in any way. The animal was quickly and safely returned to its owner, from whom it had accidentally escaped,” the statement said.
Croatian skier Tena Hadzic recalled seeing the dog on the track in an interview with NPR on Wednesday. “I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?'” she joked. “I didn’t know what I should do because maybe he would attack me and bite me.”
Hadzic said the incident was “not that serious” [a] deal,” and that she wasn’t “fighting for a medal or anything major.” She added, “But if that happened in the final, it could really cost someone a medal, or a really good result. “
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According to NPR , the 2-year-old dog named Nazgul was returned home to a nearby bed and breakfast shortly after the game. The owner of the Nazgul is reportedly related to an event official.
“He was crying more than usual this morning because he saw us leaving – I think he just wanted to follow us,” the shop owner, who asked not to be named, told the outlet. “He’s always looking for people.” The owner affectionately described the dog as “stubborn, but cute.”
Needless to say, Nazghur’s Olympic debut elicited a strong response from viewers online. “How cute he is! A bit ‘nosy’ but cute,” one X user wrote, referring to how the dog sniffed an athlete after the game. Another person tweeted: “You crossed the finish line – one of the greatest achievements you can hope for as an athlete. And the moment was absolutely stolen by a dog who had just been out for a walk.”
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Someone else shared: “They deserve a medal and a treat.” Another posted, “We require dogs and cats to compete in all Olympic sports! Next up is cats in curling!
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“. Another user called the cameo “the best Winter Olympics moment.”
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