Nazgul the Wolfdog’s Unbelievable Olympic Dash Becomes a Global Internet Sensation
Nazgul, whose unexpected sprint down the homestretch of an Olympic cross-country ski race captivated audiences worldwide, is pictured with his owners, Enrico and Alice Varesco, on Feb. 21, 2026.
Nathaniel Herz
LAGO DI TESERO, ITALY — Before becoming the Olympics’ most unlikely canine celebrity, Nazgul was never considered an escape artist.
Even so, his owners, Enrico and Alice Varesco, took precautions when they left him alone in their apartment near the Olympic cross-country ski trails earlier this week.
The Varescos were traveling a couple of hours over the mountains to watch an Olympic biathlon event at another venue. Nazgul, a two-year-old, 65-pound Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, was placed inside his large kennel indoors, with an eight-foot-tall fence separating their backyard from the trail where dozens of skiers would later race by.
Then photos of a dog running alongside skiers in the homestretch began appearing on Alice’s phone.
“We thought it was impossible,” she said. “There are other wolfdogs in the valley.”
Moments later, a friend working at the competition office sent Alice what would become an instantly recognizable image — a sharp, high-definition photo from the finish-line camera. Soon after, a family member rushed to the apartment and confirmed the shock. “Everything open — and the dog is not there,” Alice said.
Thus began the saga of Nazgul, named after the dark figures from The Lord of the Rings — an Olympic cameo that first alarmed athletes and organizers before turning into a moment of worldwide fascination.
Since trotting onto the course during Wednesday’s women’s team sprint qualification, Nazgul has appeared in newspapers across the globe, on Lord of the Rings fan pages, and in a post by the five-million-strong WeRateDogs Instagram account, which declared: “14/10 someone get him a medal.”
The Varescos spend much of their time in the mountains of northern Italy and initially believed the untamed nature of a wolfdog would fit well with their outdoor lifestyle.
Nazgul with one of his owners, Enrico Varesco
Nathaniel Herz
They were warned the breed could be challenging, but after finding a reputable kennel with dogs known for their temperament, the couple believed they could handle the responsibility.
The name was Enrico’s idea. He wanted something that sounded “powerful and scary,” Alice said.
Nazgul is “not dangerous,” she emphasized. But he is “still a wolfdog.”
“Sometimes he’s stubborn and wants to win,” she said. “Our goal is not to let him win.”
Then she added, laughing softly: “This time, he won.”
‘Running like a fool’
So how did Nazgul pull it off?
Looking back, Alice believes the latch on his kennel may not have been fully secured. She shared this Saturday in their backyard, as Nazgul and Enrico — neither fluent in English — played nearby in the sunlight.
From there, Nazgul likely opened the front door by pressing the handle with his paw. As for the fence along the ski course, Alice said he went “running like a fool” straight through an open spectator access point, moving too fast for volunteers to stop him.
The sudden appearance of a wolf-like dog on the course startled some racers. One athlete later said she briefly thought she was hallucinating and lost a few seconds as a result.
In the end, Nazgul did not affect the race outcome. He arrived after the top athletes had already completed their qualifying runs. Broadcast footage showed him calm and uninterested in the skiers, though race official Michel Rainer, who eventually caught him, later said the nervous dog gave him a small bite that required a bandage.
Several Olympic athletes later agreed that while a loose dog on a race course could have ended badly, this incident ultimately had a happy ending.
Nazgul’s owners briefly marked his Olympic moment on his kennel at home
Nathaniel Herz
‘He was doing well’
“We thought it was funny,” said Canadian athlete Tony Cyr, 27, after finishing his race Saturday. “It put a smile on a lot of people’s faces, and I don’t think it affected anyone.”
Alice said she and Enrico were deeply grateful to the race officials who helped safely retrieve Nazgul. As former ski racers themselves, they understood that “many, many things could have gone wrong.”
“We’re sorry if he ruined anyone’s moment,” she said. “We’re not proud of the escape, but we are proud of how he behaved. Because he was doing well.”
After the initial shock faded, the Varescos found humor in the situation. One moment involved Italian Eurosport commentator Silvano Gadin, whom they know from a local mountain running race they organize. During the broadcast, commentators jokingly called the dog “Olympo” and “Lampo,” prompting Alice to send Gadin a message.
“If they’re going to talk about him, at least use the right name,” she said.
Enrico’s father eventually brought Nazgul home and returned him to his outdoor kennel, where he hung a handmade sign reading: “Nazgul world champion wolfdog.”
The sign stayed up for a few days before being taken down to avoid attracting too much attention. Even during Saturday’s interview, a race official spotted Nazgul from a nearby trail, called out his name, and stopped for a photo.
To avoid the spotlight, the Varescos have been taking Nazgul on discreet walks. But they know the attention will soon fade. “In a couple of days,” Alice said, “everything will be finished, and this place will be quiet again.”
