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An unexpected four-legged guest made an appearance at the finish line of Wednesday’s women’s team sprint cross-country race at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
As the final racers neared the finish, a dog darted onto the course and crossed the line with them, delighting the crowd. The Czechoslovakian wolfdog named Nazgul lingered momentarily after entering the track and only took off toward the finish line once it noticed the racers.
Nazgul’s owners, later revealed as the Varesco family, are related to an event official, according to NPR.
“He was crying this morning more than normal because he was seeing us leaving — and I think he just wanted to follow us,” one of the owners told NPR earlier this week. “He always looks for people.”
Alice Varesco recalled the chaotic moment. “We were on the train to Anterselva to watch the biathlon,” Varesco told Reuters. “We were three hours from home when friends started sending us videos. That was the panic moment. We realized we could not do anything.”
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At first, some spectators likely mistook the silver-gray Nazgul for a wolf. An official photo finish later revealed the truth to Alice and Ernesto Varesco.
“Concern, for sure,” Alice said of her first reaction. “It was with us the whole day actually. Even after they told us he was safe, we kept thinking about what could have gone wrong.”
It marked the first known time Nazgul escaped the house on his own. The Varescos said he likely didn’t want to be left behind while they attended the biathlon and repeatedly hit a lever that opened the door.
“He wanted to look for us I think because he’s used… to going in that direction with us when we go for a walk,” Alice said. “He likes to stay with his crew.”
Nazgul’s surprise appearance did not appear to have any major effect on the sporting event itself as the top medal contenders had already crossed the finish line.
Officials caught Nazgul inside the venue, and he was home within half an hour.
While the surprise appearance on the track did not have a major impact on the race, it did at least briefly impact one competitor’s mental state. “I was like, ‘Am I hallucinating?'” Croatian skier Tena Hadzic said, per NPR. “I don’t know what I should do, because maybe he could attack me, bite me.”
Fox News’ Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
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