An unusual incident occurred when a dog "chased" an athlete at the Olympics.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - An "uninvited guest" stole the show on February 18th during the qualifying round of the women's cross-country skiing relay at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

As the races were underway, a large dog suddenly ran onto the track, running alongside the athletes just as they crossed the finish line.

The incident didn't disrupt the competition; in fact, it even elicited cheers from the audience. Afterwards, the dog continued leisurely towards the finish line, approaching the athletes as they completed their race.

The dog "chases" an athlete participating in the Winter Olympics (Photo: Getty).

According to several sources, the dog has been identified as a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. Its name is "Nazghul," inspired by the Lord of the Rings film series.

Nazghul's owner is a local resident. He said he was walking the dog before it suddenly broke free and ran into the competition area.

Greek athlete Konstantina Charalampidou humorously shared: “I suddenly became famous thanks to a dog that ran across the finish line with me, and now everyone wants to interview me. It chased the camera as it moved up and down in the finish area. It was cute and not at all aggressive. I wanted to pet it, but I didn't have time, and then I couldn't find it anymore.”

The organizers initially believed the incident might be related to a violation of the rule prohibiting pets in spectator areas.

The dog also crossed the finish line just like the athletes (Photo: Getty).

Meanwhile, Croatian athlete Tena Hadzic admitted she was quite confused when she encountered this "strange visitor": "I thought, 'Am I hallucinating?' I didn't know what to do, because it might attack or bite me."

However, Nazghul's owner insists the dog is very gentle. He said, "This morning it barked more than usual because it saw us leaving, and I think it just wanted to follow us. It's always looking for people."

Although it was just an unscripted moment, Nazghul's appearance provided an unexpected and exciting highlight to the qualifying day, making the atmosphere at the track more vibrant than ever.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/su-co-hy-huu-khi-cho-ruot-duoi-vdv-thi-dau-o-olympic-20260219122901668.htm