Unexpected Canine Competitor Steals the Show in Olympic Sprint Event

A lively dog with no official role or credentials stole the spotlight at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics by unexpectedly joining a women’s team sprint cross-country race, much to the delight of spectators.

The unexpected furry intruder wandered onto the stadium course in Tesero, located in northern Italy, during the race’s qualifying round. Spotting athletes approaching the finish line, the enthusiastic pooch decided to join in on the action.

After a brief moment of exploration, the dog dashed across the finish line ahead of the skiers, drawing cheers and laughter from the crowd who were thoroughly entertained by this impromptu addition to the race.

“It was amusing. I like dogs; we have one at home,” remarked Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who, alongside teammate Maja Dahlqvist, went on to secure the gold medal.

“As it crossed the finish line, I thought, ‘Looks like we have a new team member.’ It even wanted to go through the mixed zone, where we speak to the press, which was quite entertaining,” Sundling added.

Not all racers agreed.

“I was cooling down on the bike, and I saw the dog and I was like, ‘That’s crazy’, and I was just happy I wasn’t skiing next to the dog because I’m a bit afraid of dogs. I was happy I was already at the finish,” said Switzerland’s Nadja Kälin.

The Swiss skier won the silver medal with teammate Nadine Fähndrich in the finals race.

Officials eventually got hold of the tail-wagging interloper, but not before timekeepers preparing for a photo-finish in the race captured an image of the dog crossing the line.

Named Nazgul, the two-year-old canine is a “stubborn, but very sweet” Czechoslovakian wolfdog, his owner told US news organisation NPR.

Nazgul lives at a bed-and-breakfast near the course.

“He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us.”

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