Nazgul the Wolfdog Takes the Finish Line at the Olympics in Italy!

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy just had its first unscripted photo finish, and it wasn’t even a human athlete! During the qualifying round of the women’s cross-country team sprint, an escaped dog managed to join the race and crossed the finish line right alongside Croatian skier Tena Hadzic.

The dog, a 2-year-old Czech wolfhound named Nazgul, reportedly slipped away from his owner before finding his way onto the course. Despite the high-stakes environment of the Olympic qualifiers, Nazgul appeared focused on the race, following Hadzic all the way to the end of the sprint. His owner later told NPR that while Nazgul is “stubborn,” he is also “very sweet” and apparently has a bit of a competitive streak.

Olympic officials confirmed that Nazgul was safely caught and returned home immediately after his unauthorized debut on the world stage. While he didn’t technically qualify for the finals, he definitely provided the most memorable moment of the morning’s heats!

(See the video here)