“I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?” Croatian skier Tena Hadzic told NPR. “I don’t know what I should do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me.”
According to the NPR story, the dog broke free from his doghouse in Lago di Tesero and found his way to the qualifying round of the women’s cross-country team sprint.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Nazgul, however, proved to be a friendly Czech wolfdog who wanted in on the action. According to an article on CNN, footage from the broadcast showed the happy-looking pup running behind two skiers, with the crowd cheering as it crossed the finish line.
NPR reports Nazgul was “quickly collared by race officials and returned unharmed to his home.”
Public response on social media was swift and ranged from messages of support from fellow fan-dogs to debates over ‘wolf vs. dog.’
10/10 good doggo https://t.co/hS1scd6q9Y
— Val (Persinger) Webster (@Val_Webster22) February 18, 2026Nazgul wasn’t available for comment.
The 2026 Winter Olympics wrap up Sunday – Feb. 22 – with the closing ceremony. The final day of the Winter Games will also consist of medal events for men’s bobsled, women’s cross-country skiing, women’s curling and men’s ice hockey.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Content Creator Brooke Bunch may be reached at brooke_bunch@yahoo.com.
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