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An unexpected four-legged guest appeared at the finish line of Wednesday’s women’s team sprint cross-country race at the Cortina Olympics in Milan.
As the last racers neared the finish line, a dog darted onto the course and crossed the line with them, much to the delight of the crowd. The Czechoslovak wolfhound named Nazgul lingered for a moment after entering the course and only took off for the finish line when it noticed the racers.
Nazgul’s owners, later revealed to be the Varesco family, are related to an event official, according to NPR.
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Nazgul the dog who crashed the Nordic Combined Team Sprint Cross Country at the 2026 Cortina Olympics in Milan, pictured at his home in Tesero, Italy on February 20, 2026. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)
“He was crying more than usual this morning because he saw us leave — and I think he just wanted to follow us,” one of the owners told NPR earlier this week. “He’s always looking for people.”
Alice Varesco remembered the chaotic moment. “We were on the train to Anterselva to see the biathlon,” Varesco told Reuters. “We were three hours from home when friends started sending us videos. It was the moment of panic. We realized there was nothing we could do.”
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At first, some onlookers probably mistook the silver-grey Nazgul for a wolf. An official photo finish later revealed the truth to Alice and Ernesto Varesco.
A dog walks on the ski track during the women’s team cross-country free sprint qualifying event at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium in Lago di Tesero, Val di Fiemme, Italy. 18 February 2026. (Anne-Christine POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images)
“Worry, for sure,” Alice said of her initial reaction. “It was actually with us all day. Even after they told us he was safe, we kept thinking about what could have gone wrong.”
It marked the first known time Nazgul escaped the house on his own. The Varescos said he probably didn’t want to be left behind while they took part in the biathlon and repeatedly hit a handle that opened the door.
“I think he’d be looking for us because he’s used to… walking in that direction with us when we go for a walk,” Alice said. “He likes to stay with his crew.”
In this image taken from video provided by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), a dog runs onto the track near the finish during the heats of the women’s cross country team sprint free at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy. 18 February 2026. (Olympic Broadcasting Services via AP)
Nazgul’s surprise appearance did not seem to have any major effect on the sporting event itself, as the top medal contenders had already crossed the finish line.
Officials caught Nazgul inside the venue and he was home within half an hour.
While the surprise appearance on the track had no major impact on the race, it did at least briefly affect the mental state of one competitor. “I thought, ‘Am I hallucinating?'” Croatian skier Tena Hadzic told NPR. “I don’t know what to do because maybe he could attack me, bite me.”
