The Olympic cross-country women’s freestyle cross-country team competition had an unexpected participant. A dog took part in the races at the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and even crossed the finish line. The dog ran onto the track in Tesera and ran after two competitors – the Greek Konstantina Charalampidou and Tena Hadžičová from Croatia. His 11 seconds of fame ended at the finish line when the organizers grabbed him and led him away. It was reported by the AFP agency.
The Croatian skier was understandably surprised by the unexpected escort at the finish line. “I wondered if I was hallucinating,” cites Hadžičová about his meeting with a Czechoslovak wolfdog named Nazgul. “I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid he might attack me or bite me.” added the Croatian woman, who finally took the whole incident in stride.
Greek representative Charalampidou she noted with a smile that the dog seemed to be more focused on the viewfinders of the cameras than on the race. “He was chasing the camera going up and down the finish line. He was golden and not aggressive at all.” she described the situation. “I wanted to pet him, but I didn’t have time, and then I couldn’t find him anymore,” she finished.
Nazgul’s owner told the American station NPR that the two-year-old dog was probably not looking for sports glory, but rather companionship. “He whined more than usual this morning because he saw us leaving—and I think he just wanted to follow us.” he explained. “He’s always looking for people.” Nazgul, who is otherwise a “very good boy” according to the owner. has not yet commented on his sporting performance for the media.
