All About Nazgul, the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog That Joined an Olympic Cross-Country Ski Race – NBC TV Network

The world was introduced to the furriest Olympian ever at the 2026 Winter Games.
Winter Olympic Sports to Watch During Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
Olympics Biathlon
Olympics Alpine Skiing
Olympics Figure Skating
Olympics Cross-Country Skiing
Olympics Nordic Combined
Olympics Luge
Olympics Short Track Speed Skating
Olympics Skeleton
Olympics Snowboard
Olympics Speed Skating
Olympics Ski Mountaineering
Olympics Bobsleigh
Olympics Curling
Olympics Ice Hockey
Olympics Ski Jumping
A breakout star has emerged in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics — and he has four legs.
Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics on NBC and Peacock.
During the February 18 women’s cross-country skiing team sprint qualifiers, viewers were treated to something that doesn’t happen too often in Olympic competition — somebody’s dog joined the skiers in their quest toward the finish line!
Nazgul the Czechoslovakian wolfdog managed to get away from his home and wagged his way onto the course. In fact, Nazgul accompanied two skiers as they completed their part of the race.
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It was an instantly iconic moment — with all due respect to the hundreds of Olympic athletes competing in Italy, of course.
Croatian skier Tena Hadzic recalled what was going through her head when she realized Nazgul had joined the race.
“I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?” Hadzic revealed, according to NPR. “I don’t know what I should do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me.”
A wolfdog wanders on the ski trail during the women’s team cross country free sprint qualification event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Lago di Tesero (Val di Fiemme), on February 18, 2026. 
Fortunately, Nazgul was a good boy and posed no threat to the racers — or to the race itself, as the top finishers had already completed the course.
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The NBC Olympics Instagram account had fun with footage of Nazgul, tracking his “official” race time, giving him the slow-motion treatment, and awarding him the gold medal for being a good boy.
“Nazgul started the day as just another Italian dog,” NBC Olympics captioned the Instagram post. “He’ll end it as a #WinterOlympics legend.”
Watch Nazgul finish the cross-country skiing race here.
Oh, and in the least surprising development ever, the video’s comment section is filled with fans who just couldn’t get enough of this surprising and adorable pup cameo. After all, it’s not every day that a wolfdog takes it upon himself to compete alongside Olympic athletes.
“He definitely should be the guest of honor at the Closing Ceremonies!” wrote one adoring fan.
A wolfdog wanders on the ski trail during the women’s team cross country free sprint qualification event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Lago di Tesero (Val di Fiemme), on February 18, 2026.
NPR spoke with the 2-year-old dog’s owner, who was granted anonymity for the interview.
“He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us,” said the owner. “He always looks for people.”
The owner added that Nazgul is a “stubborn, but very sweet” wolfdog.
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Nazgul was quickly apprehended by event officials after the disruption and returned to his home at a nearby bed-and-breakfast.
The 2026 Olympic Winter Games take place February 6-22 in Milan, and you can watch them all on Peacock. Anywhere. Any time.  
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Gold Zone: “Whip around” coverage of the biggest moments from the Winter Games, delivering live updates on all the happenings from Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. 
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