Stray dog crashes Winter Olympics race and crosses finish line alongside skiers

The surprise appearance quickly became one of the Games’ most viral moments

A stray dog briefly became the unexpected star of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics after running onto the course during the women’s cross-country skiing team sprint.

The two-year-old Czech wolfhound, named Nazgul, sprinted alongside competitors and even crossed the finish line before officials were able to remove him from the track. The moment quickly went viral, with viewers stunned by the surprise “competitor.”

According to Norway’s VG, Nazgul had escaped from his home before somehow making his way onto the Olympic course.

Croatian skier Tena Hadzic admitted the encounter was unsettling in the moment.

“I was scared for a moment, because I don’t know what’s going to happen since it’s a dog,” she told VG. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Argentine athlete Nahiara Diaz Gonzalez echoed similar concerns but was relieved the situation ended safely.

“Everyone is talking about the dog, it’s famous now,” she said. “I was trying to see what it was going to do because I didn’t want to crash into the dog. But luckily it went well.”

Nazgul’s owner later explained that the dog had simply run away from home.

A stray dog stole the spotlight at the Winter Olympics as it ran onto the course during the women’s cross-country skiing racepic.twitter.com/OHjEssiZtz

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) February 18, 2026

“He just disappeared. He is a very kind dog, very stubborn, and very sweet. He always looks for people and is very social. He doesn’t hurt people,” the owner said.

Even the official Olympic Games social media account joined in on the fun, joking about awarding medals to the surprise four-legged participant.

While rare, animal interruptions at major sporting events have happened before, but few have managed to capture global attention quite like Nazgul’s Olympic dash.