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Escaped Wolfdog Appears in Olympic Team Sprint Photofinish

Officials identified the intruder as a local Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul.

Overview

  • The dog ran onto the Tesero cross-country course during the women's team-sprint qualification and crossed the line as the official OMEGA camera captured a finish photo.
  • Organizers first issued a wolf alert before confirming it was a dog, reflecting regional sensitivity to real wolf and bear populations in Trentino.
  • Identified as a two-year-old Czechoslovakian Wolfdog named Nazgul, the pet belongs to a nearby family and had escaped by opening two apartment doors, according to the owner's sister.
  • FIS course chief Michel Rainer removed the animal from the stadium before it briefly got loose again, after which the family recaptured it; no injuries were reported and the event continued with minimal delay.
  • The dog pursued Greece's Konstantina Charalampidou and Croatia's Tena Hadzic past the finish as athletes described reactions ranging from fear to amusement, and the footage quickly went viral.