An Olympic ski race had an unexpected entrant when a dog from a nearby bed and breakfast made it onto the piste and crossed the finish line. The two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul went viral in footage trotting behind athletes in the women’s team cross country qualifiers in Tesero, at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Speaking to NPR, his owners, who have been granted anonymity, said, “He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving—and I think he just wanted to follow us. He always looks for people.” Speaking to Norwegian outlet VG, they added, “He just disappeared, ran away from home. He is a very kind dog. Very stubborn, very sweet, and very social. He always seeks contact with people. He doesn’t hurt people.” He was returned to them unharmed. Croatian skier Tena Hadzic, 21, saw Nazgul on the home stretch, and said, “I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating? I don’t know what I should do,’ because maybe he could attack me, bite me,” NPR reports. Top-qualifier Jonna Sundling, of Sweden, said, “It was cute,” the Mail reported, while her rival, fifth-placed Norwegian Astrid Oyre Slind, joked, “A dog is my least problem, a Swede is my biggest.”
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