Dog crashes Olympic ski race, steals the spotlight online

A dog unexpectedly ran onto the course during the women’s team sprint qualifying race in the cross‑country skiing event at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The extraordinary incident, in which an animal resembling a wolf began following the athletes, occurred on Feb. 18.

The dog appeared in the final stretch of the course, running close behind the skiers. It could be seen crossing the finish line just after two athletes and even appeared in the photo finish.

DOG AT THE OLYMPICS FULL COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS
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— Rodger Sherman (@rodger.bsky.social) 18 февраля 2026 г. в 18:26

Spectators immediately turned their attention away from the race, capturing the unusual moment on their phones. It later emerged that the owners of the Czechoslovakian wolfdog were related to an event official, according to NPR.

Croatia’s skier Tena Hadžić told the outlet that she initially couldn’t believe her eyes. She said she thought she was imagining things.

Reporters learned that the dog’s name is Nazgul and that it is two years old.

@nooraluuk #milanocortina2026 #dogatolympic ♬ original sound – nooraluuk

The owner said that Nazgul had been acting unusually that morning, crying more than normal and probably wanting to follow them as they were leaving. The owner added that the dog «always looks for people.»

Fortunately, the incident did not affect the race results. No one was injured, and Nazgul quickly became the star of the event.