How A Runaway Wolfdog Accidentally Stole The Winter Olympics
For anyone who has ever agreed to watch a dog for a friend or family member, this situation represents the ultimate nightmare scenario. Everything can seem calm and routine one moment, and then suddenly the house feels too quiet. The leash is still by the door, the bowl untouched, and panic sets in as you realize the dog is gone. It’s the kind of moment every pet sitter dreads, where responsibility, fear, and guilt all collide at once.
That exact fear became reality for Elisa Varesco on a Wednesday in Italy while she was caring for her brother’s dog. What began as an ordinary day quickly spiraled into chaos when the dog managed to escape. Situations like this happen everywhere, but this one took an extraordinary turn due to a very specific location: the dog’s home happened to be near a Winter Olympics cross-country skiing venue.
Because of that coincidence, the world was introduced to Nazgul, a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog whose unexpected Olympic cameo instantly captured hearts. During a live event, Nazgul appeared on the course itself, sprinting freely as athletes competed. The image of a powerful, wolf-like dog bounding through a pristine Olympic track was so surreal and charming that the clip spread rapidly across social media.
As the video gained traction online, Elisa Varesco began explaining how such an unlikely Olympic interruption happened. Nazgul, it turns out, is not only fast and athletic but remarkably clever as well. His escape was not the result of a forgotten door or a loose leash, but rather the outcome of problem-solving that surprised even those who knew him best.
According to Varesco, Nazgul managed to open not one but two doors entirely on his own before disappearing from the apartment. The realization came quickly and painfully. One moment he was inside, safe and supervised, and the next he was gone without a sound. It was the kind of escape that leaves a caretaker stunned, replaying the moment again and again in disbelief.
At the time, Nazgul’s owner, Enrico, was traveling toward a biathlon event near the Austria–Italy border. With her brother away, Varesco immediately set out to search nearby towns, assuming the dog had followed familiar walking routes. Everything pointed to a local escape, not an international sporting spectacle unfolding live on television.
That assumption shattered when Nazgul appeared on TV screens instead. Seeing him running freely on an Olympic course was shocking, not only because of the danger but because of the sheer improbability of it. What were the odds that a missing dog would reappear in front of millions of viewers during a global sporting event?
For viewers around the world, Nazgul quickly became the unexpected star of the day. The dog ran confidently, tail high, seemingly unbothered by crowds, cameras, or elite athletes racing around him. What could have been a disaster instead became a strangely joyful interruption, reminding audiences that live sports always carry the potential for unscripted magic.
Not everyone who encountered Nazgul knew what to make of the moment at first. Croatian skier Tena Hadzic, who spotted the dog near the finish line, described a moment of genuine confusion and concern. Seeing a large wolfdog suddenly appear mid-competition raised understandable fears, especially in such a high-pressure environment.
Those worries, however, turned out to be unfounded. Nazgul showed no signs of aggression or threat. On the contrary, he appeared friendly, curious, and eager for attention. Rather than disrupting the event with danger, he seemed to bring an unexpected warmth to the scene, charming athletes and viewers alike.
According to reports, Nazgul’s Olympic adventure did not end immediately at the finish line. Although course director Michel Rainer managed to catch him at one point, the clever dog escaped yet again, proving that his curiosity and independence were not easily contained.
This second escape, however, took a safer turn. Instead of returning to the course, Nazgul ran into a nearby village, away from athletes and competition. It was there that Varesco and others finally managed to secure him, bringing a tense and surreal chapter to a close.
Reflecting on the incident later, Varesco described Nazgul as both wildly energetic and deeply sweet. The events of the day seemed to capture his personality perfectly—bold, unpredictable, and full of life, yet harmless and affectionate at heart.
In the end, Nazgul’s Olympic dash became one of those rare moments where stress transforms into shared laughter. What began as a terrifying escape story evolved into a viral reminder that animals, like live sports, have a way of creating unforgettable moments when you least expect them. And judging by the internet’s reaction, Nazgul will forever be remembered as the good dog who briefly stole the Winter Olympics.
