The 2-year-old local pup who made his own bid for gold has become a household name
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NEED TO KNOW
- Nazgul, a 2-year-old pup, was caught on camera running to the finish line of a women’s cross-country team sprint qualifier at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- Nazgul allegedly escaped from his home at a nearby bed and breakfast
- His surprise appearance left one skier shocked, with her saying, “I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?”
The furry four-legged local who made his bid for gold during the 2026 Winter Olympics after escaping his doghouse has become somewhat of a household name – Meet Nazgul.
Nazgul first made headlines during a women’s cross-country team sprint qualifying race on Wednesday, Feb. 18, when the Czechoslovakian wolfdog was seen crashing the course as some of the 2026 Winter Olympians were reaching the finish line.
As members of Team Croatia and Team Australia crossed the finish line, Nazgul first took a peek at the cameras before joining what he appeared to have thought was a game of chase.
"Anybody lost their dog?" the on-course announcer jokingly said, after noting, "it's a fairly nice mutt there, not hindering anybody's progress. One of those moments you have to laugh about."
Adding, "But you know, better it happened now than during the group sprints, let's put it that way.”
After the race, Nazgul went over to say a quick hello to the Olympians who crossed the finish line and volunteers before heading to the post-finish area with the other athletes.
"I was like, 'Am I hallucinating?" Tena Hadzic, a 21-year-old Croatian skier who saw the Nazgul during the race, told NPR. "I don't know what I should do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me."
After receiving a few quick pets, the unharmed two-year-old pup was returned home to a nearby bed-and-breakfast, but not before his 15 seconds of fame with numerous media outlets and social media users sharing his unexpected appearance.
Nazgul’s owner, who decided to remain anonymous, spoke to NPR while driving to watch an Olympic biathlon race at another venue.
"He was crying [that] morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us," the owner said. "He always looks for people."
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Nazgul didn't appear to affect the preliminary qualifying round.
Although no one has seemingly blamed the “stubborn, but very sweet” Nazgul for inserting himself in the team sprint, Hadzic said she believes that had the event been the finals, her reaction might’ve been different.
"It's not that big a deal, because I'm not fighting for medals or anything big," she said. "But if that happened in the finals, it could really cost someone the medals, or a really good result."
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. Watch the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, beginning Feb. 6, on NBC and Peacock.
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