So much has been going on during the Milan Cortina Olympics on the 2026 TV schedule that television fans have barely had time to worry about when their favorite shows like Fire Country are returning. There’s been a lot of conversation about all the condoms athletes are using, people are intrigued by one skier’s “back abs,” and folks freaked out over doubles luge. Well, now everyone has something new to obsess over, as we can all watch as a dog crashes an Olympic ski race in a moment that’s gone viral.
What Happened When A Dog Crashed An Olympic Ski Race?
For many viewers, the Olympics are a time to enjoy watching the world gather for (generally) genial sporting events, and the 2026 Milan Cortina Games are no different. That doesn’t mean that there haven’t been some down moments, however, as we’ve seen things like skier Lindsey Vonn’s scary crash, and audiences having complaints about everything from the best way to stream the games to the crazy way those with a Peacock subscription have to watch the figure skating competitions.
If you've had any gripes about the games, though, all of your troubles will likely be swept away once you see the now-viral moment that a very good boy ran onto the course during a ski race. Just look at what happened in the video on the second slide, which was reposted on Instagram:
Wolfdog for the win! The event was the women’s cross country ski team sprint free race, and the animal appeared to have shown up just in time to join the action as two competitors, Croatia’s Tena Hadžić and Argentina’s Nahiara Díaz González crossed the finish line. As you can see in the video, this isn’t a wild dog, either, and NPR got the details on his origins.
Apparently, the pet’s name is Nazgul, and he’s a two-year-old Czechoslovakian wolfdog belonging to the owners of a nearby bed and breakfast. His owners had left home earlier in the day to attend another Olympic event, and because Nazgul is said to “always look for people,” he broke out of his doghouse and did just that. As one of the owners 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’s] stubborn, but very sweet.
Sweet, indeed. People are loving Nazgul’s performance, with commenters showing their approval:
- an icon, truly!!
- Bronze medal 🥉 🙌🙌🙌
- Being chased by a wolf is the best legal performance enhancing
- Please give Nazgul a medal immediately
- Just trying to make it to the pawdium. 🥹
If anything, the outpouring of…pawsitive (I had to!) reactions to Nazgul crashing the race and crossing the finish line without incident shows that pretty much everyone loves to see a sweet pup doing sweet pup things, wherever they may be.
