Nazgul’s owners detail wolfdog’s escape before viral Olympic cross-country race cameo

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An unexpected four-legged guest made an appearance at the finish line of Wednesday’s women’s team sprint cross-country race at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

As the final racers neared the finish, a dog darted onto the course and crossed the line with them, delighting the crowd. The Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul lingered momentarily after entering the track and only took off toward the finish line once it noticed the racers.

Nazgul's owners, later revealed as the Varesco family, are related to an event official, according to NPR. 

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Nazgul the dog who gatecrashed the Nordic Combined Team Sprint, Cross-Country at the Milan Cortina Olympics, pictured at his home in Tesero, Italy on Feb. 20, 2026. (Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach)

"He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us," one of the owners told NPR earlier this week. "He always looks for people."

Alice Varesco recalled the chaotic moment. "We were on the train to Anterselva to watch the biathlon," Varesco told Reuters. "We were three hours from home when friends started sending us videos. That was the panic moment. We realized we could not do anything."

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At first, some spectators likely mistook the silver-gray Nazgul for a wolf. An official photo finish later revealed the truth to Alice and Ernesto Varesco.

A dog wanders on the ski trail during the women’s team cross-country free sprint qualification event of the Winter Olympics at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in