Dog Joins Skiers at Finish in Olympic Cross-Country Qualifier

In a lighthearted interruption at the 2026 Winter Olympics, a two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul dashed onto the course during the women's cross-country team sprint qualifying round Wednesday morning in Lago di Tesero, Italy, sprinting alongside skiers to the finish line.

The incident unfolded on the home stretch of the free sprint event at the Milano-Cortina Games, where Nazgul, a local dog from a nearby bed and breakfast, escaped his home and joined competitors from Argentina and Croatia. Footage captured the energetic canine bounding behind Argentinian skier Nahiara Díaz González and Croatian skier Tena Hadzic as they crossed the line, drawing cheers from the crowd that rivaled those for the athletes. The dog paused to sniff the exhausted racers before volunteers quickly secured him and returned him to his owners, who are related to one of the event officials.

Nazgul's owners explained that the dog had been distressed that morning, crying more than usual as they prepared to leave for the day. "He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving and I think he just wanted to follow us," one owner told reporters. "He always looks for...