An unexpected and uncredentialed participant stole the show during the women’s team sprint cross-country race at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, much to the delight of spectators. This surprise guest was none other than a lively dog, whose spontaneous antics had the crowd cheering with amusement.

The four-legged interloper made its unscheduled appearance on the stadium course in Tesero, northern Italy, during the qualifying rounds. Spotting a couple of athletes nearing the finish, the dog eagerly dashed onto the track, eager to join in the competition.

Unperturbed by the elite athletes, the canine sniffed around before energetically sprinting across the finish line, preceding the skiers themselves. The audience erupted into laughter and applause, charmed by the dog’s unexpected display of speed and enthusiasm.

Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who later claimed gold alongside her teammate Maja Dahlqvist, found humor in the situation. “It was so fun. I like dogs, we have a dog at home,” Sundling commented. Reflecting on the dog’s enthusiastic finish, she added, “When it came to the finish line I was like, ‘Okay, we have a new member.’ The dog even tried to accompany us through the mixed zone, so it was fun.” The mixed zone is where competitors engage with the media post-race.

However, not all competitors shared Sundling’s amusement, as some racers were less thrilled by the canine’s unexpected participation.

Not all racers agreed.

“I was cooling down on the bike, and I saw the dog and I was like, ‘That’s crazy’, and I was just happy I wasn’t skiing next to the dog because I’m a bit afraid of dogs. I was happy I was already at the finish,” said Switzerland’s Nadja Kälin.

The Swiss skier won the silver medal with teammate Nadine Fähndrich in the finals race.

Officials eventually got hold of the tail-wagging interloper, but not before timekeepers preparing for a photo-finish in the race captured an image of the dog crossing the line.

Named Nazgul, the two-year-old canine is a “stubborn, but very sweet” Czechoslovakian wolfdog, his owner told US news organisation NPR.

Nazgul lives at a bed-and-breakfast near the course.

“He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us.”

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